U.  S.  DEPARTMENT  OF  AGRICULTURE. 

BUREAU  OF  SOILS— MILTON  WHITNEY,  Chief. 

IN  COOPERATION  WITH  THE  UNIVERSITY  OF  NEBRASKA, 
G.  E.  CONDRA,  DIRECTOR,  NEBRASKA  SOIL  SURVEY. 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  BANNER  COUNTY, 
NEBRASKA. 


BY 


F.  A.  HAY^ES,  OS  the  U.  S.  Department  of  «A.grioulture,  In 
Charge,  and  H.  L;  BEDELL,  of  the  Nebraska  Soil  Survey. 


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8 

THOMAS  D.  RICE,  Inspector,  Northern  Division. 


[Advance  Sheets— Field  Operations  of  tlie  Bureau,  of  Soils,  1919.] 


WASHINGTON: 

GOVERNMENT  PRINTING  OFFICE. 

1921. 


BUREAU  OF  SOILS. 


Milton  Whitney,  Chief  of  Bureau. 
Albert  G.  Rice,  Chief  Clerk. 

SOIL  SURVEY. 

Curtis  F.  Maebut,  In  Charge. 
G.  W.  Baumann,  Executive  Assistant. 

committee  on  the  CORRELATION   AND  CLASSIFICATION   OF  SOILS. 

Curtis  F.  JIarbut,  CJuxirman. 
Hugh  H.  Bennett,  Inspector,  Southern  Division. 
W.  Edward  Hearn,  Inspector,  Southern  Division. 
Thomas  D.  Rice,  Inspector,  Northern  Division. 
W.  E.  McLendon,  Inspector,  Northern  Division. 
Macy  H.  Lapham,  Inspector,  Western  Division. 

Louise  L.  Martin,  Secretary. 


U.  S.  DEPARTMENT  OF  AGRICULTURE. 

BUREAU  OF  SOILS— MILTON  WHITNEY,  Chief. 

IN  COOPKRATION  WITH  THE  UNIVERSITY  OF  NEBRASKA, 
G.  E.  CONDRA,  DIRECTOR,  NEBRASKA  SOIL  SURVEY. 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  BANNER  COUNTY, 
NEBRASKA. 


BY 


F.  A.  HAYES,  OF  the  U.  S.  Department  of  Agriculture,  In 
Charge,  and  H.  L.  BEDELL,  of  the  Nebraska  Soil  Survey. 


THOMAS  D.  RICE,   Inspector,  Northern  Division. 


[Advance  Sheets — Field  Operations  of  the  Bureau  of  Soils,  1919.] 


WASHINGTON- 
GOVERNMENT  PRINTING  OFFICE. 

iy2i. 


LETTER  OF  TRANSMITTAL. 


U.  S.  Department  of  x4.griculture, 

Bureau  of  Soils, 
Washington^  D.  C,  December  23^  1920. 
Sir:  In  the  extension  of  the  soil  survey  in  the  State  of  Nebraska 
during  the  field  season  of  1919  a  survey  was  undertaken  in  Banner 
County.    This  work  was  done  in  cooperation  with  the  University  of 
Nebraska. 

I  have  the  honor  to  transmit  herewith  the  manuscript  report  an.d 
map  covering  this  work  and  to  request  their  publication  as  advance 
sheets  of  Field  Operations  of  the  Bureau  of  Soils   for  1918^,   as 
authorized  by  law. 
Respectfully, 

Milton  Whitney, 

Chief  of  Bureau. 
Hon.  E.  T.  Meredith, 

Secretary  of  Agriculture, 
2 


MRL 


Jp:^\9^ 


CONTENTS. 

Page. 
Soil  Subvet  of  Banner  Cottnty,  Nebraska.     By  F.  A.  Hayes,  ok  the 
U.  S.  Department  of  Agriculture,  In  Charge,  and  H.  L.  Bedell,  of 

THE  Nebraska  Soil  Survey . 5 

Description  of  the  area 5 

Climate 9 

Agriculture 11 

Soils 18 

Dunlap  silt  loam 25 

Rosebud  gravelly  sandy  loam 26 

Rosebud  fine  sandy  loam 27 

Rosebud  very  fine  sandy  loam 28 

Rosebud  loam 31 

Rosebud  silt  loam 33 

Epping  fine  sandy  loam 35 

Epping  very  fine  sandy  loam _.  36 

Epping  silt  loam 39 

Valentine  loamy  fine  sand 41 

Valentine  very  fine  sandy  loam 42 

Mitchell  very  fine  sandy  loam , 43 

Mitchell  silt  loam 44 

Bridgeport  gravelly  sandy  loam 45 

Bridgeport  loamy  fine  sand 46 

^  Bridgeport  sandy  loam 47 

Bridgeport  fine  sandy  loam 48 

Bridgeport  very  fine  sandy  loam 49 

Cheyenne  gravelly  sandy  loam 50 

Cheyenne  sandy  loam .51 

Cheyenne  loam 52 

Tripp  fine  sandy  loam 52 

Tripp  very  fine  sandy  loam 54 

Scott  silt  loam 55 

Laurel  fine  sandy  loam 56 

Laurel  very  fine  sandy  loam 57 

Rough  broken  land 58 

Dxinesand 59 

Summary 60 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


Fig.   1.  Sketch  map  showing  location  of  the  Banner  County  area,   Ne- 
braska   : 5 

M^VP. 

Soil  map,  Banner  County  sheet,  Nebraska. 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  BANNER  COUNTY,  NEBRASKA. 

By  F.  A.  HAYES,  of  the  U.  S.  Department  of  Agriculture,  In  Charge,  and  H.  L. 
BEDELL,  of  the  Nebraska  Soil  Survey.— Area  Inspected  by  THOMAS  D.  RICE. 


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71 

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Fig.  1. — Sketch  map  showing 
location  of  the  Banner 
County  area,   Nebraska. 


DESCRUTION  OF  THE  AREA. 

Banner  County,  Nebraska,  lies  in  the  extreme  western  part  of  the 
State.  It  is  bounded  on  the  north  bj^  Scotts  Bhiff  County,  on  the  west 
by  the  State  of  Wyoming,  on  the  south  by  Kimball  County,  and  on 
the  east  by  Morrill  and  Cheyenne  Counties.  The  county  is  rectangu- 
lar in  outline,  its  dimensions  being  35^ 
miles  east  and  west  and  21  miles  north  and 
south.  It  has  an  area  of  742  square  miles, 
or  474,880  acres. 

Bamier  County  lies  in  physiographic 
province  known  as  the  Great  Plains,  lying 
in  the  western  part  of  this  province  and  in 
the  division  known  as  the  High  Plains,  and 
comprising  a  remnant  of  the  ancient  table- 
land sloping  away  from  the  Rocky  Moun- 
tains. Originally  this  table  extended  over  the  entire  area  included 
in  the  county,  but  through  erosion,  effected  principally  by  Pumpkin 
Creek,  most  of  the  surface  now  lies  several  hundred  feet  below  its 
original  level  and  on  formations  below  the  surface  formations  of  the 
High  Plains. 

The  topography  of  the  county  may  be  separated  into  four  broad 
divisions:  (1)  a  smooth  and  level  to  deeply  dissected  table,  repre- 
senting a  remnant  of  the  original  high  plains  and  occupying  the 
southern  one-third  of  the  area;  (2)  a  broad  lowland  strip,  extending 
in  a  southeast-northwest  direction,  Imown  as  the  Pumpkin  Creek 
Valley,  occupying  all  the  remainder  of  the  county  except  a  small 
area  in  the  northeastern  part;  (3)  a  high  ridge  known  in  the  Ne- 
braska surveys  as  Wild  Cat  Ridge,  extending  across  the  northeastern 
corner  of  the  county;  and  (4)  a  small  lowland  area  lying  on  the 
north  side  of  Wild  Cat  Ridge  and  representing  a  part  of  the  North 
Platte  River  Valley,  which  is  so  extensively  developed  in  Scotts 
Bluff  and  Morrill  Counties. 

The  topography  of  the  table-land  in  the  southern  part  of  the 
county  varies  gi'eatly.  In  the  southwestern  part  it  is  almost  flat 
to  slightly  rolling,  with  a  gentle  slope  toward  the  southeast.  Stream 
channels  are  not  well  developed  and  occur  mainly  as  shallow  swales, 
which  tend  to  give  the  surface  its  gently  rolling  character.     In  the 

5 


6  FIELD   OPERATION'S   OF   THE   BUREAU    OF   SOILS,   1919. 

south-central  part  the  topography  gradually  becomes  more  rolling, 
and  in  the  southeastern  part  the  table  is  so  dissected  and  broken  that 
only  the  sharp,  narrow  divides  and  small,  flat  hilltops  remain  as  its 
original  surface  level.  The  northern  edge  of  the  table  is  bordered 
by  a  steep  escarpment,  ranging  in  width  from  one-eighth  mile  to 
about  2  miles.  It  has  an  average  drop  of  about  300  feet  and  is 
steepest  near  the  edge  of  the  table,  where  it  often  forms  cliffs  and 
vertical  walls,  and  becomes  less  pronounced  near  its  base,  where  it 
flattens  out  gradually  into  the  Pumpkin  Creek  Valley. 

The  Pumpkin  Creek  Valley  comprises  about  40  per  cent  of  the  area 
of  Banner  County.  It  is  widest  in  the  northwestern  part,  where  it 
extends  across  the  north  county  line  into  Scotts  Bluff  County  from 
the  base  of  the  escarpment  on  the  south.  In  the  eastern  part  it  has 
an  average  width  of  about  6  miles.  The  valley  is  bounded  on  the 
north  by  the  southern  escarpment  of  Wild  Cat  Ridge,  which  extends 
diagonally  across  the  northeastern  part  of  the  county. 

Pumpkin  Creek  flows  near  the  northern  edge  of  its  valley.  Its 
flood  plain,  which  lies  from  1  to  3  feet  above  the  stream  channel, 
varies  in  width  from  a  few  rods  to  about  one-fourth  mile.  The  sur- 
face is  generally  flat,  though  modified  in  places  by  slight  depressions. 
Bordering  this  flood  plain  and  extending  for  short  distances  up  the 
larger  laterals  is  a  strip  of  terrace  or  bench  material  having  an 
average  width  of  about  one-half  mile.  The  surface  of  this  bench  lies 
fi'om  8  to  10  feet  above  the  stream  channel  and  about  5  feet  above  the 
flood  plain.  It  has  a  flat  to  gently  undulating  topography,  with  a 
gentle  slope  down  the  valley  and  toward  the  stream  channel.  The 
break  between  the  edge  of  the  terrace  and  the  flood  plain  is  marked 
by  a  rather  short,  steep  slope. 

The  land  slopes  from  both  sides  of  the  terrace  to  the  edge  of  the 
escarpments  bordering  the  valley.  The  valley  slopes  on  the  south 
side  of  Pumpkin  Creek  and  those  in  the  northwestern  part  of  the 
county,  where  the  land  slopes  eastward,  are  long  and  gradual.  On 
the  north  side  of  the  stream  they  are  relatively  short  and  steep.  The 
topography  of  the  slope  land  presents  a  variety  of  features.  It 
ranges  from  almost  flat  to  rolling.  The  drainageways  have  narrow, 
shallow  valleys,  and  the  areas  between  them  are  relatively  smooth. 
In  a  few  places  occur  low,  rounded  gravel  covered  hills  and  ridges 
representing  remnants  of  old  colluvial  and  alluvial  fans,  which,  in 
times  past,  have  been  built  of  materials  washed  down  from  the 
adjoining  uplands,  deposited  on  the  valley  slopes,  and  subsequently 
eroded  until  only  small  areas  remain  to  indicate  their  former  pres- 
ence. 'More  recent  colluvial  fan  material  which  has  been  subjected 
to  considerable  erosion  since  its  deposition  and  now  has  a  gently 
rolling  to  rolling  topography  occurs  extensively  on  the  lower  valley 


SOIL   SURVEY   OF   BANNER   COUNTY,    NEBRASKA.  7 

slopes.  In  a  few  places  erosion  has  isolated  parts  of  the  upland  and 
left  them  standinjr  as  biitte  forms  on  the  valley  slopes.  Gabe  Rock, 
(^astle  Rock,  and  Bio^horn  Mountain  are  notable  examples. 

As  previously  mentioned.  Wild  Cat  Ridge  borders  the  Pumpkin 
Creek  Valley  on  the  north.  This  ridge  occurs  as  a  high,  narrow 
divide  between  the  Xorth  Platte  River  and  Pumpkin  Creek  and 
represents  a  narrow  strip  of  the  original  table-land  which  has  es- 
caped the  rapid  erosion  that  lowered  the  surrounding  country.  It 
is  bordered  on  both  sides  by  steep,  precipitous  escarpments.  A  ref- 
erence to  the  map  will  show  that  the  northern  escarpment  lies  inside 
the  county  for  only  a  short  distance  in  the  extrerhe  northeastern 
part.  The  topography  of  this  land  form  is  extremely  rough  and 
broken  and  has  a  great  range  in  relief.  There  is  a  600-foot  rise  in  a 
distance  of  24  miles  from  the  base  of  the  escarpment  to  the  crest  of 
the  ridge  which  lies  at  the  original  level  of  the  table. 

The  escarpment  on  the  north  side  of  Wild  Cat  Ridge  drops  ab- 
ruptly into  the  Platte  River  Valley,  a  small  section  of  which  occurs 
in  the  extreme  Jiortheastern  part  of  the  county.  The  topography  of 
this  section  is  flat  to  rolling,  the  surface  sloping  gently  toward  the 
north.  The  more  level  part  occurs  on  the  west  side,  while  that  along 
the  east  county  line  has  been  considerably  modified  by  colluvial  fan 
and  wind-blown  materials  in  an  advanced  stage  of  erosion. 

The  lowest  elevation  in  the  county  is  at  the  point  where  Plimpkin 
Creek  crosses  the  eastern  boundary,  approximately  3,940  feet  above 
sea  level.  The  highest  elevation  recorded  by  the  United  States  Geo- 
logical SurA^ey  is  5,240  feet  in  sec.  23,  T.  18  N.,  R.  58  W.  The  most 
abrupt  relief  occurs  between  Hogback  Mountain,  a  prominent  land 
form,  and  Pumpkin  Creek.  The  summit  of  the  former  is  5,082  feet 
above  sea  level  and  the  latter,  2  miles  south,  is  4,300  feet  above  sea 
level.  An  elevation  of  4,500  feet  is  attained  on  the  Harrisburg- 
Scottsbluff  highway  near  where  it  crosses  the  north  county  line. 
The  elevations  of  other  prominent  landmarks  are :  Wildcat  Moun- 
tain, 5,038  feet;  Funnel  Rock,  4,502  feet;  Castle  Rock,  4,472  feet; 
Gabe  Rock,  5,006  feet;  Bighorn  Mountain,  4,713  feet;  Sheep  Moun- 
tain, 4,507  feet;  and  Smokestack  Rock,  4,326  feet.  The  general 
slope  of  the  county  is  to-  the  southeast. 

Pumpkin  Creek,  the  largest  stream  in  the  county,  drains  the  north- 
ern two-thirds  of  the  area,  with  the  exception  of  a  few  square  miles 
in  the  northeastern  part,  from  which  the  run-off  is  north  into  the 
North  Platte  River.  The  table-land  in  the  southern  part  of  the 
county  is  drained  by  Lawrence  Fork  and  its  tributaries.  Pumpkin 
Creek  has  a  fall  of  about  460  feet  in  its  course  of  about  27  miles  in 
this  county,  averaging  17  feet  to  the  mile.  It  flows  in  a  shallow 
channel  from  2  to  4  feet  deep  and  has  an  average  width  of  about  20 


8  FIELD   OPERATIONS   OF   THE   BUREAU    OF    SOILS,   1919. 

feet.  Near  its  head  the  stream  is  swift  and  cutting  its  channel,  but 
it  becomes  more  sluggish  toward  the  eastern  county  boundary.  In 
its  course  through  the  county  the  creek  receives  no  water  from  con- 
stant natural  tributaries;  it  is  fed  entirely  by  intermittent  drain- 
ageways,  springs,  and  underground  seepage.  The  principal  drain- 
age ways  emptying  into  Pumpkin  Creek  are  Bull  Canyon,  Willow 
Creek,  Indian  Springs  Canyon,  Bighorn  Gulch,  Hackberry  Creek, 
and  Chalk  Creek.  These  drainageways  are  all  on  the  south  side  of 
the  stream.  Many  of  them  have  springs  near  their  heads,  in  the 
rough,  broken  escarpment  bordering  the  table-land,  but  the  water 
becomes  lost  in  the  loose,  porous  sands  of  the  valley  slope  before 
reaching  the  main  stream. 

Lawrence  Fork  is  a  dry  drainageway  in  the  southeastern  part  of 
the  county.  Its  principal  tributary  is  Rocky  Hollow.  Except  for  a 
short  distance  along  Pumpkin  Creek,  in  the  eastern  part  of  the 
county,  all  the  drainageways  have  a  very  steep  gradient  and  are 
swift  flowing.  By  far  the  greater  part  of  the  county  is  well  drained. 
Streamways  reach  all  sections  except  the  sandier  parts  in  the  Pump- 
kin Creek  Valley,  where  the  water  finds  its  way  to  Pumpkin  Creek 
through  subterranean  channels,  and  a  few  areas  in  the  upland 
where  shallow  depressions  occur.  The  first  bottom  of  Pumpkin 
Creek  is  poorly  drained,  owing  to  the  flat  topography  and  to  the 
nearness  of  the  water  table  to  the  surface. 

Banner  County  was  formed  from  a  part  of  old  Cheyenne  County 
in  the  fall  of  1888  and  was  organized  as  a  county  in  January,  1 889. 
Settlement  on  the  lowlands  along  Pumpkin  Creek  began  as  early  as 
1885.  The  first  settlement  was  made  by  people  from  Illinois,  but 
these  were  followed  by  others  from  eastern  Nebraska  and  from  Iowa. 
The  settlers  were  of  mixed  parentage,  a  large  percentage  being 
American  born.  The  population  of  Banner  County  is  reported  in  the 
1910  census  as  1,444,  and  is  all  classed  as  rural.  The  population  aver- 
ages 1.9  persons  per  square  mile.  Settlement  is  densest  on  the 
table-land  in  the  southeastern  part  of  the  countj^  and  along  Pumpkin 
Creek  in  the  northern  part.  The  region  surrounding  Harrisburg  is 
also  comparatively  thickly  populated.  The  rough  broken  areas  in 
the  southeastern  part  of  the  county  and  Wild  Cat  Eidge  in  the 
northeastern  part  are  the  most  sparsely  populated  sections. 

Harrisburg,  the  county  seat  and  principal  town,  has  an  estimated 
population  of  100.  It  lies  in  the  central  part  of  the  county  and 
serves  as  a  distributing  point  for  the  most  necessary  farm  supplies. 
Flowerfield  is  a  small  village  in  the  southwestern  part  of  the  county.^ 

^  Since  this  report  was  written  the  preliminary  announcement  of  the  population  of 
Banner  County  and  its  civil  divisions  in  1920  has  been  is-'-^iued  by  the  Bureau  of  the 
Census,  as  follows  :  Banner  County,  1,435  ;  rural,  1,435  ;  Epworth  precinct,  199  ;  Flower- 
field  precinct,  123;  Gabe  Rock  precinct.  127;  Lone  Pine  precinct,  148;  Long  Springs,  pre- 
cinct, 310 ;  Loraine  precinct,  181 ;  Wrights  precinct,  247. 


SOIL  SURVEY   OF   BANI^ER   COUNTY,   NEBRASKA.  9 

The  transportation  facilities  in  Banner  County  are  inadequate, 
and  this  condition  is  largely  the  cause  of  its  slow  development. 
There  are  no  railroads  in  the  county.  One  passes  tlirough  Kimball, 
about  11  miles  south,  and  another  through  Gering,  8  miles  north  of 
the  county.  A  stage  line  from  Kimball  to  Scottsbluff  crosses  the  cen- 
tral part  of  the  area  from  north  to  south,  passing  through  Harris- 
burg.  The  wagon  roads  in  the  south-central,  southwestern,  and 
northwestern  parts  of  the  county  are  good  and  follow  for  the  most 
part  section  lines.  In  the  Pumpkin  Creek  Valley  the  roads  are  not 
so  well  established,  and  in  the  areas  of  Rough  broken  land  in  the 
southeastern  and  northern  parts  of  the  count)^  they  are  few  and  poor. 
All  are  earth  roads.  The  county  is  not  supplied  with  rural  mail 
delivery  routes,  though  rural  telephone  lines  are  fairly  well  dis- 
tributed. 

There  are  no  markets  in  Banner  County  for  any  of  the  farm  pro- 
duce, the  nearest  ones  being  along  the  railroads  in  Kimball  and 
Scotts  Bluff  Counties.  Most  of  the  grain  is  hauled  to  the  elevators 
located  at  Kimball  and  Bushnell,  in  Kimball  County.  Live  stock 
is  generaly  dri^^en  to  Gering  or  Scottsbluff  for  shipment.  The 
heavy  hauling  required  to  get  grain  over  the  steep  escarpments  bor- 
dering both  sides  of  the  Pumpkin  Creek  Valley,  together  Avith  the 
long  distances  to  market,  has  had  a  tendency  to  discourage  commer- 
cial grain  growing  in  the  valley. 

CLIMATE. 

The  climate  of  Banner  County  is  typical  of  the  High  Plains 
country.  It  is  characterized  by  cold  winters  and  short  summers,  with 
great  extremes  in  temperature.  The  rainfall,  which  is  always  low, 
generally  comes  in  the  form  of  local  showers,  which  occasionally  are 
torrential.  Hail  sometimes  does  considerable  damage  over  local 
areas. 

The  following  table,  compiled  from  records  from  the  Weather 
Bureau  station  at  Kimball,  covering  a  period  of  25  years,  gives  the 
normal  monthly,  seasonal,  and  annual  temperature  and  precipitation, 
and  the  precipitation  for  the  wettest  and  driest  years . 
29367°— 21 2 


10 


FIELD   OPERATIONS  OF   THE   BUREAU    OF   SOILS,   1819. 


Normal  monthly,   seasonal,   and  annual   temperature  and  preciititation   at 
Kimball,  Kimiall  County. 


Temperature. 

Precipitation. 

Month. 

Mean. 

Absolute 
maxi- 
mum. 

Absolute 
mini- 
mum. 

Mean. 

Total 
amount 
for  the 
driest 
year. 

Total 
amount 
for  the 

wettest 
year. 

December 

"F. 
28.  8 
26.5 
27.1 

"F. 
69 
73 
74 

-24 
-33 
-30 

Inches. 

0.62 

.45 

.69 

Inches. 

0.  45 
.91 
.48 

Inches. 
0  00 

January 

February 

1.20 

Winter 

27.5 

74 

-.33 

1.76 

1.84 

1  85 

March 

34.9 

45.6 
54.6 

82 
95 
97 

-17 

6 

8 

1.00 
2.01 
2.67 

.20 

.88 
.49 

1  87 

April 

5  57 

May 

4  04 

Spring 

45.0 

97 

-17 

5.68 

1.57 

11  48 

.TllTlA 

65.1 
70.7 
69.7 

102 
106 

104 

29 
38 
26 

2.14 
2.44 
1.54 

1.49 
1.18 
.80 

4  10 

July 

3  48 

Auguat 

2  38 

Snmmpr 

68.5 

106 

26 

6.12 

3.47 

9  96 

September 

60.7 
48.1 
36.7 

97 
92 

87 

19 

0 

-22 

1.14 
.73 
.34 

1.42 
.91 
.25 

1  57 

73 

November 

T 

Fall 

48.5 

97 

-22 

2.21 

2.58 

2  30 

47.4 

106 

-33 

15.  77 

9.46 

25  59 

The  mean  annual  rainfall  is  about  16  inches,  but  the  precipitation 
varies  greatly  from  year  to  year.  Precipitation  in  the  wettest  year 
on  record  amounted  to  25.59  inches  and  in  the  driest  year  to  9.46 
inches.  About  76  per  cent  of  the  annual  rainfall  occurs  during  the 
growing  season,  from  April  to  September,  inclusive.  About  46  per 
cent  occurs  in  May,  June,  and  July,  with  the  maximum  in  May. 
From  October  to  March,  inclusive,  the  precipitation  commonly  aver- 
ages less  than  1  inch  per  month.  The  rainfall  in  May  and  June  is 
usually  well  distributed.  In  July,  August,  and  September  the  dis- 
tribution is  not  so  favorable  and  occasional  long  droughts  occur  dur- 
ing these  months.  The  average  annual  snowfall  is  less  than  2  feet. 
The  greater  part  falls  during  December,  January,  and  February. 

The  mean  annual  temperature  is  47.4°  F.  January  is  the  coldest 
month,  with  a  mean  annual  temperature  of  26.5°  F.,  and  July  the 
warmest  with  a  mean  of  70.7°  F.  The  mean  annual  temperature  for 
August  is  only  1°  lower.  The  lowest  temperature  recorded  is  — 33° 
F.  in  January  and  the  highest  106°  in  July. 


SOIL   SURVEY   OF   BANNER   COUNTY,    NEBRASKA.  H 

The  average  date  of  the  latest  killing  frost  in  the  spring  is  May  15, 
and  that  of  the  first  in  the  fall  September  22.  This  gives  an  average 
growing  season  of  only  129  days,  and  it  is  necessary  to  grow  quick 
maturing  varieties  of  crops  to  realize  the  largest  returns.  The 
earliest  recorded  killing  frost  in  the  fall  occurred  August  25,  and 
the  latest  in  the  spring  June  5.  The  summer  grazing  season  begins 
about  the  middle  of  May  and  lasts  until  the  1st  of  November,  Most 
of  the  grasses  cure  into  hay  under  natural  conditions  and  furnish 
considerable  sustenance  for  stock  throughout  the  winter. 

The  prevailing  winds  in  the  winter  are  from  the  northwest,  and 
during  the  summer  months  from  the  south  and  southwest.  Strong 
though  not  destructive  winds  are  common. 

The  climate  of  the  region  is  the  controlling  natural  factor  in  agri- 
cultural development.  While  the  rainfall  is  not  alw^ays  sufficient 
for  as  high  yields  of  grain  as  can  be  reasonably  expected  in  the  east- 
ern part  of  the  State,  the  farmers  have  adopted  methods  whereby 
fairly  good  returns  are  assured  in  all  but  the  driest  years.  Careful 
conservation  of  soil  moisture  and  the  selection  of  only  the  most 
hardy  and  early  maturing  varieties  of  grain  have  resulted  in  making 
the  tillable  parts  of  the  county  fairly  dependable  in  crop  production. 
The  growing  season,  however,  is  short,  and  corn  and  oats  sometimes 
fail  to  mature. 

AGRICULTURE. 

The  first  settlers  to  enter  Banner  County  confined  themselves  to 
cattle  ranging  on  the  open  range,  where  a  great  variety  of  nutritious 
grasses  afforded  good  pasturage.  During  1885  and  1886  the  land 
was  rapidly  taken  up  by  homesteaders.  With  the  passing  of  the 
herd  law  in  1887  most  of  the  cattlemen  were  forced  out  of  the  qpun- 
try.  As  in  other  parts  of  the  Great  Plains,  the  waves  of  settlement 
have  advanced  and  receded.  During  the  eighties  the  settlers  had  a 
few  years  of  good  crops,  and  immigration  was  greatly  stimulated,  so 
that  by  1890  there  was  a  farmer  on  nearly  every  quarter  section  in  the 
count3\  These  good  years  were  followed  by  the  most  disastrous 
drought  the  region  has  ever  experienced,  ending  in  the  extremely 
dry  years  of  1893  and  1894.  Total  failures  of  all  crops  resulted, 
and  the  new  settlers  -were  so  impoverished  that  they  left  tli*e  county 
in  large  numbers.  In  1890  there  were  565  farms  in  the  county. 
This  number  had  decreased  to  226  in  1900.  The  early  population 
was  larger  than  that  enumerated  as  late  as  1910. 

The  droughts  experienced  in  these  early  years  would  not  have 
checked  the  development  so  seriously  if  the  present  dry-farming 
methods  had  been  practiced.  The  settlers  were  not  supplied  with 
sufficient  capital  to  maintain  themselves  during  the  years  of  failure ; 


12 


FIELD   OPERATIONS    OF   THE   BUREAU   OF   SOILS,   1919. 


they  had  no  knowledge  of  the  crops  best  adapted  to  the  soils  and 
climate;  the  means  of  conserving  soil  moisture  by  proper  cultiva- 
tion was  not  understood ;  the  system  of  combined  stock  ranching  and 
o-rain  farming  had  not  been  introduced;  and  the  general  financial 
depression  then  prevailing  over  the  entire  country  caused  low  prices 
for  all  agricultural  products.  All  these  factors  contributed  to  the 
failure  of  this  period. 

The  vacated  land  was  taken  up  by  ranchers,  who  combined  stock 
raising  and  farming.  Since  then  many  of  the  large  tracts  have 
gradually  been  broken  up  as  the  population  has  increased,  but  the 
greater  part  of  the  county  is  still  used  for  the  production  of  hay  and 
as  pasture  land.  Most  of  the  public  land  in  the  county  passed  into 
private  ownership  many  years  ago.  The  resettlement  of  the  re- 
mainder was  hastened  by  the  passage  in  1905  of  the  Kincaid  Act, 
which  increased  the  size  of  homestead  claims  to  640  acres,  and  made 
it  possible  to  take  up  land  valuable  chiefly  for  pasture.  Within  a 
short  time  after  the  passage  of  this  act  the  remaining  public  land 
passed  into  private  ownership. 

The  following  table,  compiled  from  the  census,  gives  the  acreage 
and  production  of  the  principal  crops  of  the  county  in  1889, 1899,  and 
1909,  and  shows  the  general  trend  of  agriculture  during  the  last  20 
years : 

Acreage  and  production  of  the  principal  crops  of  Banner  County,  1889,  1899, 

and  1909. 


Crop. 


Area. 


Yield. 


1899 


Area. 


Yield. 


Area. 


Yield. 


Com 

Oats 

Wheat 

Rye 

Barley 

Emmer 

Beans 

Flax 

Potatoes 

Other  vegetables . 


Wild,  salt,  and  prairie  grasses . 

Grains  cut  green 

Coarse  forage 

Tame  and  cultivated  grasses. . 
Alfalfa 


656 
788 
41 
90 


56, 122 
11,074 

6,477 
398 

1,395 


Acres, 

1,581 

475 

1,635 

72 

35 


349 

677 


285 

1,351 

24, 401 


Tons. 
4,964 


Bushels. 

10, 160 

4,070 

8,770 

340 

300 


147 


8,138 
1,961 

836 
1,467 

374 


7,414 


Tons. 
4,250 
1,670 

668 
1,283 

358 


A  cres. 

5,882 

8, 280 

6,297 

222 

141 

599 

17 

272 

383 

88 

17, 874 

560 

194 

3,193 

1,003 


Bushels. 

89, 884 

208, 184 

85, 306 

2,710 

3, 600 

12, 825 

■  77 

1,520 

24, 697 


Tons. 

10, 487 

549 

263 

3,377 

1,520 


The  table  indicates  that  the  early  settlers  depended  largely  upon 
cultivated  crops.    From  1889  to  1899  corn  was  the  leading  cultivated 


Soil  survey  of  banner  county,  Nebraska.  13 

crop.  The  early  settlers  came  from  corn-producing  regions  and  en- 
deavored to  raise  the  crop  with  which  they  were  most  familiar.  The 
shortness  of  the  growing  season,  however,  makes  the  crop  very  un- 
certain, and  by  1909,  oats  and  wheat  occupied  acreages  larger  than 
corn.  The  table  shows  a  decided  decrease  in  the  acreage  of  most 
crops  between  1889  and  1899  and  a  gradual  increase  during  the  fol- 
lowing decade. 

The  agriculture  at  the  present  time  consists  of  a  combined  system 
of  grain  growing  and  cattle  ranching.  The  level  table-land  in  the 
southern  part  of  the  county  is  used  mostly  for  grain  production.  The 
rest  of  the  land,  including  the  Pumpkin  Creek  Valley  and  the  areas 
of  Eougli  broken  land,  is  used  for  the  grazing  of  beef  cattle  and 
horses  and  the  production  of  hay  and  grain  for  feed.  Most  of  the 
farms  and  ranches  grow  a  few  garden  vegetables  for  home  needs. 

Wheat  is  now  the  most  important  grain  crop,  ranking  first  in 
acreage  in  the  county.  The  report  of  the  Nebraska  State  Board  of 
Agriculture  shows  there  were  29,427  acres  devoted  to  wheat  in  1918, 
about  three-fourths  of  this  acreage  being  planted  to  spring  varieties. 
Turkey  is  the  chief  winter  wheat  and  durum  wheats  the  principal 
kinds  used  for  spring  sowing.  Most  of  the  wheat  is  grown  on  the 
heavier  soils,  as  there  is  considerable  danger  of  drifting  by  the  hea^'y 
winds  of  the  fall  and  spring  on  the  sandy  soils.  The  average  yield 
of  spring  wheat  is  less  than  that  of  winter  wheat,  but  the  spring 
varieties  seem  better  adapted  to  the  sandy  lands,  and  the  durum 
varieties  are  especially  popular  on  account  of  their  drought-resisting 
qualities.  The  average  yield  of  winter  wheat  is  22  bushels  per  acre 
and  that  of  spring  wheat  19  bushels  per  acre.  Wlieat  is  the  chief 
cash  crop  of  the  county  and  is  nearly  all  shipped  to  outside  markets. 
The  quality  is  generally  good. 

Corn  ranks  second  in  importance  among  the  grain  crops.  The 
Nebraska  State  Board  of  Agriculture  reports  8,221  acres  in  corn  in 
1918,  with  a  total  production  of  172,704  bushels.  Warm,  dry  winds 
and  droughts  in  some  years  cause  considerable  damage  to  this  crop. 
Owing  to  the  high  altitude  and  the  shortness  of  the  growing  season 
only  the  earliest  maturing  varieties  are  planted,  principall}'^  Blue  and 
"^Yliite  Squaw  corn,  Small  Yellow  Dent,  and  Small  Calico  Dent. 
These  produce  smaller  stalks  and  ears  than  the  varieties  grown  in  the 
eastern  part  of  the  State.  The  yields  show  Avide  variations  through 
a  period  of  years,  ranging  from  complete  failure  to  25  or  30  bushels 
per  acre.  The  grain  is  used  for  feeding  work  stock  and  cattle.  A  few 
farmers  grow  more  corn  than  they  need  and  sell  the  surplus  in  the 
community,  but  the  demand  is  greater  than  the  supply,  and  some  corn 
is  annually  shipped  in  from  the  corn  belt. 

Oats  were  grown  on  8,071  acres  in  1918  and  gave  an  average  yield 
of  30  bushels  per  acre.     Most  farmers  do  not  consider  oats  a  very 


14  FIELD   OPERATIONS  OF   THE   BUREAU    OF    SOILS,   1919, 

profitable  crop,  but  it  is  needed  to  feed  the  stock,  especially  horses. 
The  crop  is  grown  on  practically  all  the  farms  and  ranks  as  one  of 
the  most  important  in  the  coiint3\  It  does  not  withstand  droughts, 
however,  as  well  as  the  other  small  grains,  and  is  frequently  damaged 
by  warm,  dry  winds  or  droughts  at  heading  time.  The  crop  gives 
the  best  results  on  the  heavier  soils.  Swedish  Select  and  Kherson  are 
the  principal  varieties.  Yields  are  very  uncertain,  but  in  the  best 
years  40  to  50  bushels  per  acre  are  obtained.  In  the  drier  years  the 
heads  often  fail  to  fill  well  and  the  crop  is  cut  for  forage.  Oats  are 
generally  fed  to  work  stock  on  the  farms  and  ranches  where  pro- 
duced. A  few  farmers,  however,  grow  a  surplus,  which  is  sold 
locally. 

Flax  ranks  next  to  oats  in  acreage.  There  were  Y86  acres  devoted 
to  flax  in  1918.  Only  the  seed  of  this  crop  is  utilized.  All  the  flax 
is  sold  outside  the  county.  The  crop  is  generally  grown  on  newly 
broken  land.    The  average  yield  is  about  6  bushels  per  acre. 

Rye  was  grown  on  524  acres  in  1918.  The  crop  is  planted  chiefly 
on  the  heavier  soils,  and  generally  for  the  grain,  but  it  is  also  grown 
to  some  extent  for  hay  and  pasture.  The  yield  of  grain  ranges  from 
10  to  30  bushels  per  acre,  depending  upon  the  rainfall.  The  crop 
is  quite  drought  resistant  and  yields  better  upon  the  sandy  soils 
than  wheat,  but  its  lower  market  value  tends  to  prevent  any  decided 
increase  in  acreage. 

Potatoes  rank  next  to  rye  in  acreage,  311  acres  being  devoted  to 
potatoes  in  1918.  The  crop  is  grown  chiefly  for  home  consumption 
and  very  few  farmers  have  a  surplus  for  sale.  The  principal  varieties 
are  Earl}'^  Ohio,  Bliss  Triumph,  and  White  Eureka.  Yields  range 
from  50  to  200  bushels  per  acre,  with  an  average  of  about  112  bushels 
per  acre. 

Of  the  hay  crops,  alfalfa  occupies  the  largest  acreage.  It  has 
steadily  increased  in  importance  since  it  was  introduced.  There  were 
8,870  acres  in  alfalfa  in  1918,  as  compared  with  1,063  acres  in  1909. 
The  crop  is  of  local  importance  for  hay  and  pasture.  It  is  grown  to  a 
minor  extent  on  nearly  all  the  upland  soils  of  the  county,  but  does 
best  on  the  terraces  and  well-drained  parts  of  the  flood  plains.  In 
a  few  places  along  Pumpkin  Creek  the  terraces  are  irrigated,  and  in 
these  localities  alfalfa  is  the  principal  crop.  Under  irrigation  the 
crop  generally  gives  three  cuttings  and  yields  2  to  4  tons  per  acre 
per  season.  On  unirrigated  land  the  yield  is  about  2  tons  per  acre 
under  favorable  conditions,  the  crop  usually  being  cut  but  twice. 

Wild  hay  was  cut  from  4,726  acres  in  1918.  The  crop  consists  of 
stipa  or  needle  grass,  sand  grass,  bunch  grass,  grama  grass,  buffalo 
grass,  blackroot  (a  sedge),  western  wheat  grass,  and  some  marsh 
grasses.  The  first  two  named  grow  on  the  sandier  soils  in  the  Punii:)- 
kin  Creek  Valley ;  the  following  five  species  grow  on  the  heavier  soils 


SOIL    SURVEY    OF    BANNER    COUNTY,    NEBRASKA.  15 

in  all  parts  of  the  county.  Marsh  grasses  are  found  only  in  the 
poorly  drained  flood  plains  of  Pumpkin  Creek.  The  yield  of  hay 
varies  greatly  in  the  different  sections  of  the  county  and  from  year 
to  year.  On  the  flood  plains  it  ranges  from  1  to  1|  tons  per  acre. 
In  the  upland  the  yields  range  from  one-fourth  to  three-fourths  ton 
per  acre,  depending  upon  the  rainfall.  The  upland  hay  is  finer  in 
texture  and  is  considered  better  in  quality  than  that  produced  on 
the  flood  plains.  The  greater  part  of  the  hay  is  fed  during  the 
winter  months  to  work  stock  and  cattle.  The  average  yield  of  wild 
hay  in  1918  is  reported  as  0.8  ton  per  acre. 

Sorghum,  emmer,  millet,  and  barley  constitute  the  less  important 
grain  and  forage  crops.  They  are  grown  in  small  patches  on  many 
farms.  Millet  gives  fair  promise  of  becoming  a  good  hay  crop,  as 
it  withstands  drought  well  and  good  yields  are  generally  obtained. 

Garden  vegetables  can  not  be  successfully  grown  unless  artificially 
watered.  A  very  small  quantity  of  fruit  is  grown.  The  severe 
climate  and  the  late  spring  frosts  generally  injure  the  trees,  and 
fruits  in  general  are  not  suited  to  local  conditions.  Plums  and  apples 
are  the  most  dependable  of  the  tree  fruits  and  gooseberries  and  cur- 
rants of  the  small  fruits.  Wild  plums,  wild  grapes,  and  buffalo 
berries  are  the  principal  native  fruits. 

By  far  the  greater  part  of  Banner  County  is  used  as  grazing  land 
and  live-stock  raising  is  the  most  important  industry.  The  value 
of  live-stock  products  in  1909  exceeded  that  of  all  crops  combined  by 
about  $2,000.  The  Nebraska  State  Board  of  Agriculture  reports  a 
total  of  714  milch  cows  in  county  in  1918,  with  a  value  of  $64,260, 
and  16,793  other  cattle,  with  a  value  of  $1,175,510.  The  number  of 
horses  in  the  same  year  was  5,084  valued  at  $457,560,  and  the  number 
of  mules  175,  valued  at  $17,300.  The  number  of  hogs  was  1,610,  with 
a  value  of  $48,300,  and  there  were  1,429  sheep,  valued  at  $17,124. 

Stock  raising  is  highly  profitable,  as  the  animals  generallj'  are 
free  from  disease.  Cattle  and  horses  are  the  chief  sources  of  income. 
A  small  herd  of  horses  is  raised  on  nearly  every  farm  and  most 
farmers  have  a  sur]3lus  for  sale.  The  stock  has  been  improved  from 
the  western  broncho  to  medium  draft  horses  weighing  1,000  to  1,200 
pounds.  The  Percheron  is  recognized  as  the  best  breed  under 
existing  conditions.  The  horses  are  seldom  fed  grain  during  the 
winter,  but  are  allowed  to  run  on  the  range,  except  in  the  severest 
weather,  when  they  are  driven  into  shelter  and  fed  hay.  Many  of 
the  horses  are  sold  to  buyers  who  come  into  the  county.  The  most 
popular  breeds  of  cattle  are  the  Hereford  and  the  Shorthorn.  Very 
few  of  the  animals  are  purebred,  but  the  herds  are  almost  in- 
variably headed  by  a  purebred  male.  The  ordinary  farmer  keeps 
20  to  30  head  of  cattle,  but  many  ranchere  have  several  hundred. 
The  stock  is  usually  sold  in  the  fall  when  2  or  3  years  old,  going  to 


16  FIELD   OPERATIONS  OF   THE   BUREAU   OF   SOILS,  1919. 

eastern  markets  as  feeders.  Many  of  the  cattle  are  run  on  the 
range  throughout  the  year,  hay  being  fed  during  severe  weather. 
Only  a  few  hogs  are  raised,  chiefly  in  an  experimental  way.  The 
high  altitude,  healthful  climate,  and  isolation  from  cholera  and 
other  malignant  diseases  gives  fair  promise  for  the  development  of 
the  hog-raising  industry.  The  animals  are  generally  fattened  on 
com,  but  alfalfa  is  often  added  to  the  ration. 

A  few  sheep  are  annually  shipped  in  for  summer  grazing,  and  some 
ranchers  carry  the  stock  through  the  winter.  The  diligent  herding 
and  care  required  in  this  industry  have  tended  to  make  it  unpopular. 

A  small  flock  of  poultry  is  raised  on  nearly  every  farm,  but  few 
farmers  have  a  surplus  of  poultry  products  for  sale.  The  Nebraska 
State  Board  of  Agriculture  report  shows  that  there  were  1,083  dozen 
poultry  of  all  grades  in  Banner  County  in  1918. 

Little  or  no  attention  is  given  to  dairying  in  this  county,  although 
a  few  farmers  have  a  surplus  of  dairy  products,  which  is  sold  outside 
the  area. 

Topographic  and  soil  conditions  have  influenced  the  extent  and 
distribution  of  the  farmed  areas  more  closely  than  they  have  affected 
the  distribution  of  the  various  crops.  The  rough  topography  and  the 
tendency  toward  excessive  drainage  in  certain  parts  of  the  county 
have  hindered  the  development  of  farming  on  some  soils.  In  general, 
the  heavier  and  deeper  soils  are  recognized  as  most  drought  resistant 
and  best  adapted  to  the  production  of  small  grains.  They  include 
the  very  fine  sandy  loams,  silt  loams,  and  loams  of  the  table-land  in 
the  southern  part  of  the  county.  The  areas  of  Rough  broken  land, 
the  sand  dunes,  and  the  large  areas  where  the  underlying  rock  lies 
close  to  the  surface  are  best  adapted  to  grazing.  The  poorly  drained 
flood  plain  soils  along  Pumpkin  Creek  are  used  exclusively  for  the 
production  of  hay  and  for  pasture,  and  the  better  drained  areas  of 
the  first  bottoms  are  well  adapted  to  alfalfa.  Corn  is  grown  in  all 
parts  of  the  county,  but  seems  to  do  best  on  the  lighter  textured 
soils  of  the  table-land. 

The  agricultural  methods  followed  by  the  best  farmers  are  based 
on  experience.  They  understand  that  the  essential  features  of  dry 
farming  are  thorough  preparation  of  the  land  and  the  conservation 
of  soil  moisture.  The  sandy  lands  are  not  cultivated  so  intensively 
to  form  a  mulch  as  the  heavier  soils.  The  surface  of  the  light-tex- 
tured soils  is  kept  as  rough  as  possible  in  order  to  prevent  drifting. 
Moisture  conditions  are  the  chief  factor  controlling  cropping  and 
rotations;  fertilization  and  tillage  methods  are  of  secondaiy  im- 
portance. 

As  a  rule,  the  farm  buildings  are  moderately  good  and  the  machin- 
ery and  equipment  on  nearly  every  farm  is  adequate  for  all  needs. 
Horse-drawn  gang  plows  and  cultivators  are  common,  and  there  are 


SOIL   SURVEY   OF   BANls^ER   COUNTY,    NEBRASKA.  17 

many  tractors  in  the  county.  Mowers,  hay  sweeps,  and  stackers  are 
used  extensively  in  handling  the  hay  crop.  Binders  and  headers  are 
used  on  most  farms  in  harvesting  the  grains.  Local  thrashing  ma- 
chines handle  the  grain  after  it  has  been  harvested.  A  few  farmers 
own  "  combines,"  which  cut  and  thrash  the  grain  in  one  operation. 
The  fences  are  all  of  barbed  wire  and  usually  kept  in  good  repair. 
Runways  for  automobiles  have  been  built  in  many  fences  where  roads 
cross  property  lines. 

Corn  land  is  disked  or  double  disked  early  in  the  spring  and  the 
crop  listed  in  on  old  corn  or  stubble  ground.  Occasionally  the  heavy 
soils  are  plowed  before  disking.  Some  corn  is  planted  on  newly 
broken  sod.  The  crop  usually  is  cultivated  twice  with  a  two-row 
cultivator. 

Winter  wheat  is  seeded  early  in  the  fall  and  spring  wheat  is  planted 
as  soon  after  the  frost  is  out  of  the  ground  as  possible.  The  crop  is 
usually  drilled  in  on  well-disked  corn  or  stubble  ground.  It  is  the 
opinion  of  most  farmers  that  wheat  planted  on  newly  broken  sod, 
which  has  been  well  disked,  gives  larger  returns  than  when  planted 
on  old  land.  The  oats  crop  is  always  drilled  in,  usually  on  corn  land. 
Rye  is  planted  in  the  same  manner  as  winter  wheat. 

No  definite  and  systematic  crop  rotation  is  practiced,  as  the  land  is 
new  and  in  no  immediate  danger  of  becoming  exhausted.  On  many 
farms  wheat  and  corn  have  been  grown  on  the  same  land  for  four 
or  five  consecutive  years. 

No  commercial  fertilizer  is  used  and  barnyard  manure  is  seldom 
applied  to  the  land. 

Farm  labor  is  rather  difficult  to  obtain.  Ordinary  wages  during 
the  busy  season  range  from  $4  to  $5  a  day,  and  during  harvesting  $7 
a  day  is  sometimes  demanded.  When  employed  by  the  jear  laborers 
receive  $60  to  $80  a  month,  with  board.  Most  of  the  farmers  endeavor 
to  do  their  own  work,  except  during  the  harvest  season. 

The  size  of  farms  in  Banner  County  ranges  from  a  few  acres  to 
several  square  miles.  In  1910  there  were  368  farms  in  the  county, 
with  an  average  size  of  863.5  acres  and  comprising  66.9  per  cent  of 
the  total  area.  The  prevailing  size  of  farms  ranges  from  160  to  640 
acres.  Of  the  land  in  farms,  33.4  per  cent,  or  288.8  acres  per  farm,  is 
classed  as  improved  land.  In  the  strictly  grazing  and  hay-producing 
sections  the  ranches  vary  from  640  to  23,040  acres,  with  an  average  of 
1,280  acres. 

Nearly  all  the  farmers  and  ranchers  own  their  land  and  only  a 
few  farms  are  operated  by  tenants.  The  leases  are  about  equally 
divided  between  the  cash  and  share  rental  systems.  Cash  rent  ranges 
from  $150  a  square  mile  for  strictly  grazing  land  to  $3  or  $4  an 
acre  for  farming  land  on  the  high  table.     Share  rent  ranges  from 

29367°— 21 3 


18  FIELD   OPERATIONS  OF   THE   BUREAU    OF    SOILS,   1919. 

one-fifth  to  one-fourth  of  the  crops,  the  use  of  the  pasture  land 
generally  being  given  the  renter  without  charge. 

It  is  difficult  accurately  to  determine  land  values  in  this  county 
on  account  of  the  newness  of  the  country.  The  valuations  given  are 
based  on  the  estimates  of  reliable  farmers.  The  best  grade  of  farm 
land  in  the  southern  and  south-central  parts  of  the  area  ranges  in 
price  from  $40  to  $76  an  acre,  depending  chiefly  upon  the  location 
and  improvements.  The  heavier  land  on  the  slopes  of  Pumpkin 
Creek  Valley  sells  for  $20  to  $35  an  acre,  and  the  light-textured 
sandy  land  for  $15  to  $20  an  acre.  The  Rough  broken  land  sells 
for- $12  to  $18  an  acre.  The  land  areas  in  which  the  bedrock  lies 
close  to  the  surface  and  which  are  shown  on  the  map  as  Rosebud 
very  fine  sandy  loam,  shallow  phase,  are  valued  at  $12  to  $15  an 
acre  for  pasture.  The  alluvial  soils  along  Pumpkin  Creek  range  in 
value  from  $20  to  $40  an  acre,  depending  upon  drainage  and  im- 
provements. 

SOILS.2 

The  typical  soil  profile  in  Banner  County,  the  one  that  prevails 
over  as  much  as  three-fourths  of  the  area  in  more  or  less  perfect 
development,  consists,  in  the  virgin  soil,  of  a  surface  horizon  vary- 
ing from  1  to  3  inches.  It  is  loose  in  structure,  not  flocculated,  con- 
tains a  relatively  small  amount  of  grass  roots,  is  light  brown  in 
color,  and  usually  lighter  in  texture  and  more  thoroughly  leached 
than  any  of  the  other  horizons.  It  varies  considerably  in  the  per- 
fection of  its  development,  being  somewhat  less  perfectly  developed 
in  most  of  the  smooth  upland  areas,  ^^'lien  the  second  or  underlying 
horizon  is  best  developed  the  uppermost  may  be  absent  altogether,  and 
in  general,  the  less  perfectly  developed  this  horizon  is,  the  better  is 
horizon  2  developed.  The  latter  is  dark  brow^n  in  color,  rather  com- 
pact, breaks  up  in  clods  when  first  broken  from  the  virgin  condition, 
has  a  more  or  less  pronounced  columnar  structure  on  exposure,  and 
may  be  a  little  heavier  in  texture  than  the  surface  horizon.  It  ranges 
in  thickness  from  about  5  inches  to  12  or  14  inches,  the  columnar 

2  Banner  County  adjoins  Scotts  Bluff  County  on  the  north,  Morrill  and  Cheyenne  Coun- 
ties on  the  east,  and  Kimball  County  on  the  south.  In  certain  cases  the  mapping  in 
the  counties  does  not  agree  along  the  boundaries.  This  in  most  places  is  due  partly  to 
the  extension  into  this  county,  of  very  small  soil  areas  and  partly  to  changes  in  corre- 
lation resulting  from  a  fuller  knowledge  of  the  soils  of  the  state. 

The  soils  mapped  as  Rosebud  loamy  fine  sand  in  Scotts  Bluff  County  is  called  in  this 
area  the  Rosebud  fine  sandy  loam,  and  the  area  mapped  as  Marsh  is  in  this  area  called 
Laurel  fine  sandy  loam. 

Tb"  type  mapped  in  Morrill  County  as  Bridgeport  loamy  fine  sand  basi  been  combined 
in  this  area  with  the  Bridgeport  very  fine  sandy  loam  on  account  of  its  small  area  and  its 
similarity  to  the  hitter  type.  In  like  manner  the  Tripp  loamy  very  fine  sand  is  com- 
I)ined  with  the  Tripp  very  fine  sandy  loam  and  Riverwash  has  been  called  Chevenno 
gravelly  sandy  loam. 

The  soil  called  Canyon  gravelly  sandy  loam  in  Cheyenne  County  has  in  this  area  been 
combined  with  the  Rosebud  very  fine  sandy  loam,  shallow  phase. 


SOIL  SURVEY   OF   BANNER    COUNTY,    NEBRASKA.  19 

structure  and  compaction  being  developed  usually  in  inverse  ratio 
to  the  thickness.  Although  it  is  usually  rather  compact  in  the  virgin 
condition,  it  breoks  up  readily  into  fine  particles.  The  compaction 
is  most  pronounced  in  its  upper  part,  and  decreases  gradually  down- 
ward, but  the  transition  from  horizon  1  to  horizon  2  is  usually 
abrupt.  Beneath  horizon  2  there  may  occur  a  thin  brown  horizon 
free  from  compaction,  with  low  organic  matter,  and  differing  from 
the  fourth  horizon  mainly  in  the  absence  of  lime  carbonate.  The 
fourth  honzon  is  light  gray  or  yellowish  in  color,  deflocculated  and 
therefore  poAvdery  in  structure,  except  in  the  sandy  members,  and 
carries  a  high  percentage  of  lime  carbonate,  the  content  ranging  from 
1  per  cent  to  almost  any  amount,  though  in  most  samples  it  does  not 
exceed  2  per  cent.  This  horizon  is  usually  a  foot  or  more  in  thick- 
ness and  changes  gradually  downward  into  the  parent  rock.  This 
may  vary  greatly  in  its  characteristics. 

The  profile  just  described  is  universally  present  on  the  smooth 
parts  of  the  coimty,  where  the  soil  has  lain  in  its  present  position  for 
a  considerable  period  of  time  without  being  subjected  to  any  serious 
effect  from  erosion,  burial  by  wash  from  higher  areas,  or  creep  and 
slide  down  slopes.  It  does  not  characterize  the  soils  that  are  made 
of  material  recently  accumulated  and  is  less  well  developed  on  the 
slopes  than  on  the  smooth  upland  or  terrace  areas.  This  occurrence 
points  to  the  conclusion  that  the  profile  here  described  is  the  mature 
one  for  the  region  or  at  least  the  most  advanced  in  siage  of  develop- 
ment of  any  in  the  area,  and  since  soil-survey  studies  in  the  northern 
Great  Plains  as  a  whole  have  found  this  profile  of  universal  occur- 
rence in  situations  such  as  those  in  which  it  is  found  in  this  region, 
the  inference  seems  to  be  justified  that  it  is  the  mature  j^rofile  of  the 
northern  Great  Plains  region.  If  it  be  allowable  to  apply  to  the  soil 
profile  a  term  used  in  recent  investigations  in  Ecology  ^  it  may  be 
designated  as  the  climax  'profle  of  the  northern  Great  Plains,  or, 
more  accurately,  the  central-northern  Great  Plains. 

The  mature  profile  as  described  above  is  not  developed  over  the 
whole  area.  The  soils  characterized  by  it  are  included  in  the  various 
members  of  the  Posebud,  Tripp,  and  Cheyenne  series.  The  Rosebud 
soils  are  the  prevailing  upland  soils  and  cover  somewhat  more  than 
55  per  cent  of  the  total  area  of  the  county.  The  Tripp  soils  occur  on 
river  terraces  and  for  all  practical  purposes  are  the  equivalents  of 
corresponding  types  of  the  Posebud  series.  Their  profiles  are  exactly 
alike  and  they  occur  on  smooth  surfaces.  The  Cheyenne  soils  occur 
on  terraces  also,  but  on  account  of  their  open  gravel  or  sand  subsoils 
are  differentiated  from  the  soils  of  the  Tripp  series. 

'F.  E.  Clements,  Plant  Indicators. 


20  FIELD   OPERATIONS   OF   THE   BUREAU    OF   SOILS,   1919. 

The  Epping,  Mitchell,  and  Bridgeport  soils  have  profiles  less 
maturely  developed  than  those  of  the  series  named  above.  As  a  rule 
the  horizons  have  been  developed  far  enough  for  identification,  but 
fall  much  short  of  perfection.  In  the  Mitchell  soils  the  stage  of 
development  is  somewhat  more  advanced  than  in  the  Epping-  or 
Bridgeport,  though  in  a  few  areas  the  profile  of  the  Epping  is  well 
developed,  approaching  in  character  that  of  the  Rosebud.  Owing  to 
the  fact  that  the  definition  of  the  Epping  soils  is  a  geological  one, 
the  variation  in  character  of  the  soil  profile  is  greater  in  the  various 
members  of  this  series  and  even  in  the  same  type  in  different  places 
than  is  the  case  in  the  soils  of  the  Bridgeport  or  Mitchell.  The 
Epping  soils  are  defined  on  the  basis  of  their  derivation  from  Brule 
clay  material,  one  of  the  geological  formations  of  the  area,  and  the 
mapping  has  been  done  on  that  basis  rather  than  on  the  basis  of  the 
soil  profile.  In  those  rather  rare  areas  where  the  profile  of  the 
Epping  soils  is  approximately  mature  they  do  not  seem  to  differ 
esentially  from  corresponding  members  of  the  Rosebud  series  and 
in  the  future  will  probably  be  mapped  in  that  series.  Since  such 
areas  are  very  small  in  Banner  County  no  serious  error  has  been 
committed  in  not  doing  this  here. 

AYe  are  not  yet  in  possession  of  a  sufficient  amount  of  chemical  data 
to  show  whether  a  maturely  developed  soil  from  the  Brule  clay  will 
differ  from  a  corresponding  type  in  the  Rosebud  series.  Since  the 
mineral  elements,  including  those  usually  recognized  as  the  necessary 
constituents  of  a  productive  soil,  are  very  abundant  in  all  these  soils, 
it  is  perfectly  legitimate  to  question  the  advisability,  or  even  the 
justification  of  a  differentiation  of  the  soils  on  the  basis  of  differences 
in  their  content  of  mineral  constituents,  except  where  the  amounts 
of  the  different  constituents  are  very  great.  Such  data  as  are  avail- 
able show  that  these  soils  (in  the  two  surface  horizons)  have  about 
2  per  cent  of  lime,  2  per  cent  of  potash,  and  0.2  to  0.5  per  cent  of 
phosphoric  acid.  These  data,  which  can  not  be  presented  here,  show 
a  rather  imiform  percentage  of  these  constituents  in  all  the  soils  of 
the  region.  This  being  the  case,  it  would  seem  that  there  is  no  justi- 
fication for  differentiating  a  maturely  developed  soil  derived  from 
the  Brule  clay  from  the  Rosebud  series.  When  both  soils  are  devel- 
oped to  the  same  mature  stage  their  colors  are  essentially  identical, 
and  since  they  have  developed  under  the  same  climatic  and  drainage 
conditions  their  organic  matter  must  be  assumed  to  be  in  the  same 
stage  of  decay.  Since,  also,  the  color  is  due  to  their  content  of 
organic  matter,  it  is  legitimate  to  conclude  that  the  content  of  both 
is  approximately  the  same.  Typically,  the  profile  of  the  Epping 
series  should  show  no  differentiation  into  horizons,  except  the  darken- 
ing of  the  surface  soil. 


SOIL   SURVEY   OF   BAXNER    COUNTY,    NEBRASKA.  21 

The  Mitchell  soils  are  deriv^ed  from  terrace  material  and  do  not  dif- 
fer in  profile  in  an}'  essential  respect  from  the  Bridgeport  soils.  They 
are  differentiated  from  the  latter  on  the  assumed  basis  of  derivation 
from  terraces  whose  material  came  chiefly  from  the  Brule  clay. 
The  Bridgeport  material  is  to  a  considerable  extent  colluvial  in  its 
process  of  accumulation,  Avhile  the  Mitchell  material  was  accumu- 
lated by  larger  streams.  Since  the  material,  however,  in  both  cases 
came  from  the  same  ultimate  source,  the  various  crj-stalline  and 
sedimentary  rocks  of  the  Rockj^  Mountains,  there  would  seem  to  be 
very  slight  reason  for  maintaining  them  as  separate  series  of  soils. 
This  is  done,  however,  pending  the  accumulation  of  more  specific 
data.  For  all  practical  purposes  the  soils  of  the  two  series  seem  to 
be  essentially  identical. 

The  soils  of  the  Valentine  series  have  been  developed  from  accu- 
mulations of  wind-blown  sand  that  has  ceased  to  move  and  has  be- 
come covered  with  grass.  The  soil  material  is  almost  entirely 
quartz.  The  carbonate  content,  even  in  the  subsoil,  is  too  low  to 
cause  effervescence  in  acid.  The  profile  is  immature,  the  horizons 
consisting  of  a  surface  soil  darkened  by  accumulated  organic  matter 
and  a  subsoil  of  the  unweathered  parent  sand. 

The  Scott  silt  loam,  the  only  member  of  the  series  mapped  in 
Banner  County,  has  developed  under  imperfect  drainage  conditions. 
As  would  be  expected,  it  occurs  in  small  areas  only  in  depressions 
in  which  water  accimiulates  during  periods  of  high  rainfall.  In 
wet  seasons  some  of  the  areas  fill  with  water  and  become  temporary 
lakes.  The  surface  soils  are  dark  brown  in  color,  while  the  subsoils 
are  usualh-  grayish  in  color  and  rather  heav}'. 

The  Dunlap  soils  have  a  profile  differing  from  that  of  the  Rose- 
bud in  one  important  respect.  The  lower  part  of  horizon  2  consists 
of  a  heavy  clay  that  as  fully  developed  becomes  very  intractable,  and 
does  not  permit  the  ready  passage  of  capillary  water.  It  seems  to 
be  the  only  soil  in  the  area  whose  course  of  development  has  been 
influenced  by  the  presence  of  soluble  salts.  It  occurs  on  fiat  sur- 
faces, where  surface  drainage  has  not  been  rapid,  and  where  such 
salts  as  were  developed  by  weathering  processes  would  tend  to  accu- 
mulate. It  is  well  known  that  the  presence  of  certain  salts,  even  in 
quantities  too  small  to  influence  the  growth  of  plants  by  their  pres- 
ence, may  influence  the  character  of  the  soil  by  the  deflocculation  of 
the  surface  horizons,  thus  allowing  percolating  water  to  carry  the 
finer  particles  into  the  subsoil,  where  they  accumulate,  forming  a 
heavy  clay  horizon.  It  is  apparent  that  this  process  has  been  at 
work  in  this  area  to  produce  the  soils  mapped  as  Dunlap. 

The  Laurel  soils  have  a  profile  marked  by  the  absence  of  well- 
develo])ed  horizons,  except  a  darkish  surface  horizon.  They  consist 
of  recently  accumulated  alluvial  material. 


22  FIELD   OPERATIONS  OF   THE   BUREAU   OF   SOILS,   1919. 


THE    SOIL    MATERIAL. 


The  soil  materials  of  Banner  County  have  been  derived  from  the 
country  rocks  within  the  county  and  from  the  Rocky  Mountains 
around  the  head  of  the  Platte  River.  The  country  rocks  occurring 
in  the  region  are  ail  sedimentary  in  origin  and  of  late  geological  age. 
They  consist  of  a  series  of  mechanical  sediments,  all  of  them  more 
or  less  calcareous,  with  thin,  discontinuous  beds  of  limestone.  The 
lowest  rocks,  those  exposed  only  in  the  lower  slopes  of  the  larger 
streams,  consist  of  fine-grain  sediments  known  as  the  Brule  clay, 
made  up  of  alternating  beds  of  silt,  clay,  and  very  fine  sand.  The 
Brule  clay  beds  are  overlain  by  beds  of  gray  sandstone,  varying  from 
imperfectly  cemented  to  well-defined  sandstone  with  interbedded 
layers  of  impure  limestone.  Like  the  Brule  beds,  these  outcrop  only 
on  the  slopes  of  the  valleys,  and  have  contributed  but  a  relatively 
small  amount  of  material  to  the  formation  of  the  soils  of  the  county. 
They  are  described  by  geologists  as  the  Gering  and  Arikaree  beds. 
Overlying  these  are  the  beds  described  under  the  term  Ogallala  by 
the  Nebraska  geologists,  consisting  of  sand,  gravel,  and  silt  with  a 
rather  high  percentage  of  lime  carbonate.  The  upland  soils  of  the 
area,  those  covering  by  far  the  greater  part  of  the  total  area  of  the 
county,  have  been  derived  from  the  Ogallala  and  Arikaree  beds  and 
from  finer  grained  material  collected  from  sources  farther  west,  but 
from  rocks  differing  in  no  essential  respect  from  these,  all  coming 
from  the  same  ultimate  source,  the  crystalline  and  sedimentary  beds 
of  the  Rocky  Mountains.  The  upland  soils  derived  from  these  mate- 
rials include  the  various  types  of  the  Rosebud  series  and  those  of  the 
Valentine,  Scott,  Dunlap,  and  Bridgeport  series. 

The  Bridgeport  soils  have  been  derived  from  material  washed 
from  these  beds  and  accumulated  on  long,  gently  sloping  fans  in  the 
broader  valleys.  They  are,  in  fact,  terrace  materials,  but  derived 
from  local  rocks  rather  than  from  distant  rocks  like  those  materials 
from  which  the  true  river-terrace  soils  have  been  developed. 

The  soil  materials  from  which  the  true  terrace  soils  along  the 
Platte  River  have  been  developed  consist  of  material  derived  from 
all  the  rocks  mentioned  above  and  also  from  the  rocks  of  the  Rocky 
Mountains  within  the  basin  of  the  river.  These  materials  vary 
widely  in  character  and  include  portions  from  crystalline,  sediment- 
ary, and  metamorphic  rocks.  The  soils  developed  from  these  beds  are 
the  members  of  the  Tripp  and  Cheyenne  series,  and  with  them  may 
be  included  the  soils  of  the  Laurel  series  occurring  on  the  modern 
valley  floors. 

The  Epping  soils  have  been  derived  from  the  residual  decay  of  the 
Brule  clay  beds,  while  the  several  members  of  the  Mitchell  series 
have  developed  from  terraces  whose  materials  are  supposed  to  have 
come  largely  from  the  same  beds.  ^ 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF   BAXNER  COUNTY,   NEBRASKA.  23 

The  several  soil  series  identified  and  mapped  in  the  county  are  de- 
scribed as  follows : 

The  surface  soils  of  the  types  in  the  Rosebud  series  are  dark  gray 
to  brown;  the  subsoils  are  light  colored  and  highly  calcareous.  A 
characteristic  feature  is  the  light-gray  to  almost  w^hite  color  of  the 
deeper  subsoil.  The  Rosebud  soils  are  derived  from  the  light- 
colored,  calcareous,  unconsolidated  Tertiary  deposits  of  the  High 
Plains,  mainly  of  the  Arikaree  and  Ogallala  formations.  Their 
topography  varies  from  almost  flat  to  steeply  rolling.  In  places  the 
surface  is  excessively  eroded  or  dissected.  The  more  hilly  areas  in 
many  places  are  dotted  with  white  exposures  of  the  underlying  for- 
mations. 

The  types  in  the  Dunlap  series  are  distinguished  by  a  brown  sur- 
face soil,  6  to  12  inches  deep,  underlain  by  a  brown,  compact  silt  loam. 
This  passes  gradually  through  a  light-brown  heavy  silt  loam  into  a 
light-gray  calcareous  silt.  The  Dunlap  series  occupies  the  flat  tops 
of  the  high  tables  representing  remnants  of  the  original  High  Plains. 
Drainage  channels  are  not  established  over  the  entire  surface.  The 
material  has  been  derived  through  weathering  from  the  fine-grained, 
calcareous  sandstones  of  Tertiary  age,  under  conditions  of  restricted 
drainage.  The  Dunlap  series  differs  from  the  Rosebud  series  in  its 
heavy,  compact  subsoil  and  more  nearly  level  topography. 

The  surface  soils  of  the  types  included  in  Epping  series  are  brown 
to  gray,  and  the  subsoils  light  buff  and  normally  somewhat  heavier 
than  the  surface  layer.  The  soil  material  is  of  residual  origin,  being 
derived  from  the  weathered  Brule  formation.  The  subsoil  is  usually 
composed  of  the  unweathered  compact  silt  or  silty  clay  loam  of  the 
Brule  formation.  The  Epping  series  occupies  undulating  or  dis- 
sected plains  and  sloping  or  comparatively  level  flats.  Drainage  is 
generally  thorough,  and  in  many  places  excessive. 

The  Valentine  soils  consist  of  a  dark-brown  to  grayish-brown  sand, 
differing  little  throughout  the  3-foot  section.  A  characteristic  fea- 
ture is  the  absence. of  calcareous  material.  The  Valentine  soils  are 
probably  composed  of  partly  weathered  wind-blown  material  derived 
originally  from  the  underlying  Tertiary  sandstone.  The  material 
has  been  so  shifted  by  wind  and  water  and  subsequently  weathered 
that  it  has  lost  most  of  its  residual  characteristics.  The  soils  occupy 
level  to  sharply  rolling  upland  plains.  They  differ  from  the  mem- 
bers of  the  Rosebud  series  in  the  absence  of  a  light-colored  subsoil 
and  in  their  lower  lime  content. 

The  types  of  the  Bridgeport  series  are  grayish-brown  or  brown- 
The  material  below  6  to  12  inches  is  in  places  slightly  lighter  in  color 
than  that  above,  but  in  most  areas  there  is  practically  no  change  in 
the  3-foot  section.  The  Bridgeport  soils  consist  of  recent  alluvial 
and  colluvial  material  carried  down  from  the  adjoining  uplands  by 


24  FIELD    OPERATIONS  OF   THE   BUEEAU    OF   SOILS,   1^19. 

intermittent  streams  and  surface  wash  and  deposited  upon  the  valley 
slopes  of  the  larger  streams.  Wind  has  also  played  an  important 
part  in  their  formation.  The  topography  varies  from  gently  un- 
dulating to  rolling.  Drainage  is  everywhere  good.  The  Bridgeport 
soils  differ  from  those  of  the  Valentine  series,  which  they  often  re- 
semble, in  the  calcareous  nature  of  their  lower  subsoils  and  of  gravel, 
which  is  generally  scattered  in  small  quantities  over  the  surface. 

The  Mitchell  series  includes  light-brown  or  buff-colored  silty  soils, 
which  in  this  countj'^  cover  terrace-like  benches  and  evenly  graded 
slopes.  They  are  composed  mainly  of  colluvial  and  wind-blown 
materials,  derived  principally  from  the  Brule  clay  and  to  a  lesser  ex- 
tent from  the  Arikaree  and  Gering  formations.  These  soils  have 
been  transported  only  short  distances  and  differ  but  slightly  from  the 
soils  of  the  Epping  series.  The  Brule  clay  formation  underlies  them 
at  depths  ranging  from  3  to  40  feet.  The  topography  varies  from 
level  to  gently  rolling,  but  the  drainage  is  usually  good. 

The  surface  soils  of  the  types  comprised  in  the  Tripp  series  are 
grayish-brown  to  brown.  The  subsoils  are  light  brown  to  gray  and 
highly  calcareous;  in  places  the  lower  subsoil  is  almost  white.  The 
Tripp  soils  are  alluvial,  being  developed  on  both  high  and  low  ter- 
races along  Pumpkin  Creek  and  its  tributaries.  They  consist  of 
sediments  brought  down  from  exposures  of  the  White  Eiver  and 
Loup  Forks  Beds,  with  which  sediments  there  has  subsequently  been 
mixed  a  large  proportion  of  wind-blown  material  in  places.  The  sur- 
face drainage  over  most  of  the  series  is  not  well  established,  but  the 
porous  subsoil  carries  off  all  the  surplus  water.  The  topography  is 
almost  flat  to  very  gently  undulating. 

The  types  of  the  Cheyenne  series  have  brown  surface  soils  and 
grayish-brown,  porous,  gravelly  subsoils,  generally  calcareous.  The 
Chejenne  soils  are  derived  from  alluvial  terrace  materials  and  from 
colluvial  wash  which  has  partly  filled  the  higher  valleys  and  draws. 
They  differ  from  the  Bridgeport  series  in  the  large  amount  of  gravel 
in  the  subsoil.  The  soils  lie  high  above  overflow  and  are  well  drained, 
often  being  droughty. 

The  types  of  the  Laurel  series  have  light-brown  to  gray  soils 
underlain  by  light-gray  subsoils.  Both  soil  and  subsoil  are  highly 
calcareous.  Iron  stains  are  common  below  15  inches.  There  is  often 
a  porous  stratum  of  sand  and  gravel  in  the  lower  subsoil.  The 
Laurel  soils  occupy  first  bottoms,  and  are  composed  of  sediments 
derived  from  the  White  River  and  Loup  Fork  beds,  recently  de- 
posited along  the  stream  channels.  The  surface  is  flat  and  drainage 
is  generally  poor.  The  soils  are  subject  to  overflow  at  varying 
intervals. 

The  types  in  the  Scott  series  are  dark  brown  to  almost  black  in  the 
surface  soil,  which  is  underlain  at  about  10  inches  bv  a  heavy,  com- 


SOIL  SURVEY   OF   BAN^iER   COUNTY,    NEBRASKA. 


25 


pact,  drab  clay  loam  or  clay,  extending  as  a  rule  throughout  the 
3-foot  section.  The  material  is  of  lacustrine  origin,  having  Ijeen  de- 
posited in  shallow  basins  or  depressions.  The  series  is  developed  in 
small  areas  throughout  the  uplands  and  is  associated  with  the 
residual  types.  Drainage  is  usually  restricted,  and  in  many  areas 
water  stands  on  the  surface  part  of  the  year.  Both  the  soil  and 
subsoil  are  calcareous  and  soluble  salts  often  accumulate  in  injurious 
amounts. 

Dunesand  includes  areas  of  almost  pure  sand  having  a  dunelike 
topography  and  being  subject  to  drifting. 

Eough  broken  land  constitutes  areas  with  a  topography  unsuited 
to  farming. 

The  following  table  gives  the  actual  and  relative  extent  of  the 
several  types  of  soil  developed  in  Banner  County.  The  distribution 
of  these  soils  is.  shown  on  the  map  accompanying  this  report. 

Areas  of  differevt  soils. 


Soil. 


Epping  very  fine  sandy  loam 

Basin  phase 

Rough  broken  land 

Rasebud  loam 

Rosebud  sUt  loam 

Rosebud  very  fine  sandy  loam.. . 
Shallow  phase 

Bridgeport  loamy  fine  sand 

Bridgeport  fine  sandy  loam 

Epping  fine  sandy  loam 

Tripp  fine  sandy  loam 

Cheyenne  gravelly  sandy  loam... 

Rosebud  gravelly  sandy  loam . . . 

Cheyenne  sandy  loam 

Bridgeport  gravelly  sand:*  loam. 

Cheyenne  loam 

Mitchell  very  fi-ne  sand"  loam . . . 


87, 488 
8,512 
76, 544 
67,  712 
46, 912 
20, 224 
26, 432 
40,  704 
21,696 
15, 232 
9,088 
7,360 
5, 120 
4, 928 
4,032 
3,840 
3, 264 


Per 

cent. 


20.2 

16.1 
14.2 
9.9 

9.9 

8. 6 
4.6 
3.2 
1.9 
1.5 
1.0 
1.0 
.9 
.S 
.7 


Soil. 


Laurel  fine  sandy  loam 

Valentine  loamy  fine  sand 

Bridgeport  very  fine  sandy  loam 

Epping  silt  loam , 

Basin  phase 

Tripp  very  fine  sandy  loam 

Dunesand 

ilitchell  silt  loam 

Rosebud  fine  sandy  loam 

Bridgeport  sandy  loam 

Dunlap  silt  loam 

Valentine  very  fine  sandy  loam. . 

Scott  silt  loam 

Laurel  very  fine  sandy  loam 

Total 


Acres. 


3,136 

3,136 

3,072 

2,816 

256 

2, 816 

2,624 

2,496 

1,  72S 

1,600 

1,152 

448 

256 

256 


Per 

cent. 


0.7 
.7 


DUNLAP    SILT    LO.^il. 


The  surface  soil  of  the  Dunlap  silt  loam  is  a  dark-brown  to  brown 
heavy  silt  loam.  The  silt  content  is  unusually  high  and  there  is  very 
little  sand  of  any  grade.  The  soil  is  rich  in  organic  matter  and  in 
places  where  the  topography  has  especially  favored  the  accumulation 
of  this  material  the  surface  6  inches  is  almost  black.  The  soil  is 
slightly  more  compact  than  that  of  the  Rosebud  silt  loam. 

The  upper  subsoil  is  a  dark  grayish  brown,  heavy,  compact  silt 

loam.     At  about  20  inches  it  passes  into  a  gray  or  grayish-brown 

heavy  silt  loam  to  silty  clay  which  typically  continues  throughout  the 

3-foot  section.     In  places  the  material  changes  rather  abruptly  at 

29367°— 21 4 


26  FIELD   OPERATIONS  OF   THE   BUREAU    OF    SOILS,   1919. 

about  30  inches  into  a  light-gray  or  white  floury  silt  loam,  similar  to 
that  of  the  Rosebud  silt  loam.  The  change  in  color  between  the  soil 
and  subsoil  is  in  most  places  gradual.  The  surface  soil  and  upper 
subsoil  are  only  slightly  calcareous,  but  the  lower  stratum  contains  a 
high  percentage  of  lime. 

The  type  occurs  as  small  isolated  bodies  in  the  southern  part  of 
the  county.  It  occupies  shallow  depressions  in  an  otherwise  flat 
country.  The  soil  has  been  derived  from  the  sandstones  and  clays 
of  the  underlying  formations,  weathered  under  conditions  of  poor 
drainage.  This  process  has  resulted  in  the  concentration  of  clay  in 
the  subsoil  and  in  the  removal  of  much  of  the  lime  from  the  soil  and 
upper  subsoil.  The  topography  is  flat  to  very  gently  undulating. 
Local  drainage  has  not  been  established,  but  owing  to  the  light  rain- 
fall water  seldom  accumulates  on  the  surface. 

The  type  is  of  such  small  extent  that  it  is  not  important  in  Banner 
County.  It  is  all  used  for  pasture  and  hay  land.  The  native  vegeta- 
tion consists  of  western  wheat  grass,  -grama  grass,  buffalo  grass,  and 
a  sedge,  blackroot.  These  yield  from  one- fourth  to  three- fourths  ton 
of  hay  per  acre,  depending  upon  the  season,  and  supply  grazing  for 
40  to  50  head  of  cattle  per  section  throughout  the  year. 

The  land  is  valued  at  $60  to  $75  an  acre,  the  price  depending  upon 
improvements  and  location. 

The  Dunlap  silt  loam,  when  occurring  in  areas  of  large  extent,  as 
in  Box  Butte,  Dawes,  and  Cheyenne  Counties,  is  one  of  the  most  valu- 
able dry-land  farming  soils  of  the  High  Plains  region. 

EOSEBtTn  GEAVELLY  SANDY  LOAM. 

The  Rosebud  gravelly  sandy  loam  is  a  brown  to  light-brown  loose 
sandy  loam,  generally  containing  relatively  large  proportions  of 
coarse  sand  and  gravel.  The  gravel  consists  of  both  angular  and 
waterworn  fragments  of  many  different  crystalline  rocks  found  in  the 
underlying  sandstone  formations.  The  gravel  particles  are  of  various 
sizes,  ranging  from  small  pebbles  to  pieces  2  or  3  inches  in  diameter. 
The  surface  6  inches  is  often  slightly  darker  in  color  than  the  rest  of 
the  soil,  owing  to  an  accumulation  of  organic  matter.  There  is  very 
little  textural  difference  between  the  soil  and  subsoil.  The  brownish 
color  of  the  surface  soil  extends  to  a  depth  of  12  to  15  inches,  where 
the  material  becomes  grayish  or  light  brownish  and  is  notably  more 
calcareous  than  at  the  surface. 

Along  the  south  county  line  a  few  bodies  of  the  type  depart  con- 
siderably from  the  typical  description,  as  the  fragments  of  crystal- 
line rocks  become  less  numerous  and  light-colored  calcareous  rock 
fragments  predominate.  A\^ere  these  are  especially  numerous  the 
type  approaches  the  Rosel^ud  yery  fine  sandy  loam,  shallow  phase. 
There  is  generally  a  sufficient  amount  of  coarse  sand  and  gravel,  how- 


SOIL   SURVEY   OF   BANNER   COUNTY,    NEBRASKA.  27 

ever,  to  give  the  type  its  gravelly  sandy  loam  texture.  The  soil  is 
derived  by  weathering  from  the  beds  of  coarse  sand  and  gravel  of 
Tertiary  age. 

The  type  is  relatively  inextensive  in  Banner  County.  It  occurs 
chiefly  in  the  southern  part,  as  scattering  areas  around  the  escarp- 
ment bordering  the  Rough  broken  land  and  as  small  areas  along  the 
south  county  line.  The  areas  -sary  in  size  from  a  few  acres  to  1  or 
2  square  miles.  The  largest  and  most  typical  area  lies  about  5  miles 
southeast  of  Harrisburg.  A  small  though  very  uniform  body  is 
mapped  about  3  miles  southeast  of  Flowerfield. 

The  topography  is  rolling  and  in  places  hilly.  The  type  often  oc- 
cupies hilltops  and  the  steep  slopes  along  drainage  ways.  Drainage 
is  in  most  places  excessive.  The  soil  is  porous,  is  not  retentive  of 
moisture,  and  is  poorly  adapted  to  farming  in  a  region  of  light  rain- 
fall. The  character  of  the  topography  also  is  unfavorable  for  farm- 
ing, and  the  land  is  all  included  in  pasture.  It  supports  a  fairly 
thick  growth  of  grama  grass,  buffalo  grass,  bunch  grasses,  and  black- 
root,  which  affords  good  grazing.  Stock  raising  is  the  principal  in- 
dustry. The  cattle  are  generally  shipped  in  the  fall  after  coming  off 
summer  pasture.  A  small  herd  of  horses  is  carried  on  most  farms. 
The  topography  affords  protection  to  stock  during  severe  weather. 

The  selling  price  of  the  Rosebud  gravelly  sandy  loam  is  difficult 
to  determine ;  as  the  bodies  of  this  soil  are  generally  small,  and  most 
farms  include  areas  of  other  types.  It  has  a  tendency,  however,  to 
lower  the  value  of  farms  on  which  it  occurs,  as  it  can  be  used  for 
pasture  only. 

EOSEIJUD    FINE    SANDY    LOAM. 

The  Rosebud  fine  sandy  loam  is  a  light-brown  or  grayish-brown. 
loose,  friable  soil  10  to  14  inches  deep.  The  upper  6  inches  of  the 
surface  contains  considerable  organic  matter,  and  has  a  slightly 
darker  color  than  the  lower  part.  Below  6  inches  there  is  a  defi- 
ciency of  this  material.  A  relatively  large  percentage  of  silt  and 
very  fine  sand  is  generally  present.  In  places  the  surface  soil  is  quite 
coarse,  approaching  a  sandy  loam  in  texture,  but  areas  of  this  kind 
are  not  of  sufficient  size  to  show  on  the  map.  The  subsoil  usually 
differs  but  little  in  texture  from  the  surface  material,  but  is  lighter 
in  color,  ranging  from  pale  yellow  to  light  gray.  In  many  places 
it  changes  to  a  silt  loam  or  very  fine  sandy  loam  at  a  depth  of  about 
24  inches.  The  lower  subsoil  has  a  high  lime  content,  and  fragments 
of  white  limestone  or  calcareous  sandstone  are  often  encountered  at 
about  36  inches.  The  Rosebud  fine  sandy  loam  is  derived  by  weath- 
ering in  place  from  the  more  sandy  strata  of  Tertiary  age. 

The  type  is  of  very  limited  extent  in  Banner  County,  and  only  a 
few  areas  are  mapped.     These  occur  chiefly  along  the  Banner-Scotts 


28  FIELD    OPERATIONS   OF    THE    BUREAU    OF    SOILS,    1919', 

Bluff  County  line.  The  largest  area  lies  in  tlie  extreme  northwestern 
corner  of  Banner  County.  A  smaller  body  occurs  about  So  niiles 
southwest  of  Flowerfield. 

The  topography  is  gently  undulating  to  rolling,  by  far  the  greater 
part  of  the  type  being  gently  rolling.  Drainage  is  everywhere 
thorough  and  in  a  few  places  excessive,  owing  to  the  loose,  porous 
nature  of  the  soil  and  subsoil.  Stream  channels  are  indefinite  and  it 
is  often  difficult  to  trace  them  across  the  type. 

On  account  of  its  small  extent  the  Rosebud  fine  sandy  loam  is  of 
no  agricultural  importance  in  the  county.  It  is  used  entirely  for 
pasture  and  hay  land.  The  native  vegetation  consists  largely  of 
sand  grass  and  stipa ;  some  yucca  and  sage  brush  are  encountered  on 
the  more  sandy  areas.  Yields  of  one-fourth  to  one-half  ton  of  hay 
per  acre  are  obtained  in  average  years.  The  type  will  support  80 
head  of  cattle  per  section,  when  used  only  for  summer  or  winter 
range,  and  about  40  head  when  grazed  the  year  round. 

The  selling  price  of  the  Eosebud  fine  sandy  loam  ranges  from  $10 
to  $25  an  acre,  depending  upon  the  improvements. 

By  growing  crops  requiring  the  minimum  of  cultivation  it  is  pos- 
sible that  fair  yields  could  be  obtained.  On  the  more  nearly  level 
areas  where  the  organic  matter  content  is  relatively  high  crops  should 
withstand  drought  better  than  on  the  heavier  Rosebud  types.  In 
cultivating  great  care  should  be  taken  not  to  stir  the  soil  more  than 
is  necessary,  as  it  blows  badly  when  not  protected  if  finely  pulver- 
ized. 

ROSEBtTD   VEKY   FINK    SANDY   LOAM. 

The  typical  Rosebud  very  fine  sandy  loam  is  very  similar  in  color 
and  other  characteristics  to  the  silt  loam  type.  It  differs  chiefly  in 
having  a  slightly  higher  content  of  very  fine  sand  in  the  surface 
soil,  which  tends  to  make  it  less  coherent  in  structure.  The  soil  is  a 
brown  to  dark  grayish  brown,  loose,  friable  very  fine  sandy  loam,  3 
to  12  inches  deep.  It  is  composed  of  the  finest  grades  of  sand  and 
there  is  usually  present  a  considerable  quantity  of  silt.  The  depth 
and  color  of  the  surface  soil  depends  largely  upon  its  topographic 
position ;  it  is  deeper  and  darker  on  the  more  level  areas,  where  un- 
disturbed weathering  has  taken  place  and  the  accumulation  of  or- 
ganic matter  has  been  favored. 

The  subsoil  is  a  light-brown  to  ashy-gray  silt  loam,  or  silty  clay 
which  gradually  becomes  lighter  in  color  with  depth,  grading  at 
about  30  inches  into  a  loose,  floury  white  silt.  In  a  few  places  the 
upper  stratum  of  the  subsoil  is  slightly  compact.  Over  small,  patchy 
areas  the  subsoil  below  30  inches  differs  from  the  typical  in  having 
a  much  larger  percentage  of  very  fine  sand,  sometimes  approaching  a 
loamy  very  fine  sand  in  texture.    The  surface  soil  is  high  in  organic 


SOIL   SURVEY  OF   BANNER    COUNTY,    NEBRASKA.  29 

matter.  The  subsoil  is  calcareous  throughout,  and  the  lower  part  is 
largely  composed  of  lime. 

The  type  has  been  derived  chie%  from  the  underlying  sandy 
Gtrata  of  Tertiary  age,  chiefly  from  the  Ogallala  formation.  Bed- 
rock frequently  outcrops,  giving  the  land  a  spotted  appearance.  It  is 
mapped  in  places  among  exposures  of  the  Brule  clay  formation. 

The  Eosebud  very  fine  sandy  loam  is  of  relatively  small  extent  in 
Banner  County.  The  principal  developments  are  in  the  southwestern 
part,  though  scattering  bodies  occur  throughout  the  southern  part. 
One  of  the  largest  bodies  lies  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Epworth  Church. 
Another  large  area  occurs  about  1  mile  west  of  Flowerfield.  A 
smaller,  though  very  typical  body  is  mapped  1  mile  southwest  of 
Gary. 

The  topography  is  flat  to  gently  rolling,  with  the  greatest  relief 
along  the  stream  channels.  Many  of  the  smaller  bodies  of  the  type 
occur  as  long  gradual  slopes,  on  valley  sides.  Drainage  is  good  and 
in  a  few  places  excessive.  Much  of  the  rainfall  percolates  through 
the  porous  soil  and  subsoil.  In  some  of  the  larger  bodies  of  the 
tyi^e  the  stream  channels  are  so  poorly  defined  that  it  is  difficult  to 
trace  them. 

The  type  is  of  little  importance  in  this  county  on  account  of  its 
small  extent.  It  is  a  very  good  dry-land  farming  soil,  however,  and 
about  40  per  cent  of  it  is  under  cultivation.  The  uncultivated  parts 
are  used  for  pasture  and  hay  land.  The  native  vegetation  differs 
little  from  that  of  the  Rosebud  silt  loam.  In  addition  to  the  common 
grasses  found  on  the  latter  type  there  are  a  few  that  thrive  on  more 
sandy  soil,  including  needle  grass  and  sand  grasses.  ^Vlieat,  rye, 
oats,  and  corn  are  the  principal  crops.  Wheat  and  i*ye  are  mostly 
sold  outside  the  county.  Oats  and  corn  are  fed  on  the  farms  where 
produced.  A  few  potatoes  are  grown  to  supply  home  needs.  Live 
stock  constitutes  the  cliief  source  of  farm  income.  Cattle  are  kept 
on  the  range  throughout  the  year,  but  most  of  the  stock  is  shipped  in 
the  fall  after  coming  off  the  summer  pasture.  Dairying  is  not 
carried  on  very  extensively  although  nearly  every  farmer  has  some 
dairy  products  to  sell.  There  is  a  small  herd  of  horses  on  most 
farms.  The  type  supports  about  100  head  of  cattle  per  section  where 
used  for  summer  range  and  from  30  to  40  head  where  grazed  through- 
out the  year. 

In  average  years  wheat  yields  about  15  bushels;  rye,  15  bushels; 
oats,  30  bushels ;  corn^  15  bushels ;  and  potatoes,  75  bushels  per  acre. 
Native  hay  yields  one- fourth  to  three-fourths  ton  per  acre,  depending 
upon  the  rainfall. 

The  general  farming  methods  are  the  same  on  this  type  as  on  the 
Rosebud  silt  loam.    The  soil  can  be  cultivated  under  a  wider  range  of 


30  FIELD   OPERATIONS   OF   THE   BUREAU    OF    SOILS,   WW. 

moisture  conditions,  however,  on  account  of  its  sandier  texture. 
Little  attention  is  given  to  crop  rotation  and  practically  no  fertilizer 
is  used. 

Land  of  the  Rosebud  very  fine  sandy  loam  type  sells  for  $60  to 
$75  an  acre,  dei^ending  upon  its  topography,  improvements,  and 
location. 

As  with  the  Rosebud  silt  loam  the  dominating  factor  governing 
crop  yields  on  this  type  is  the  moisture  supply.  Thorough  tillage, 
especially  during  dry  weather,  is  very  necessary. 

Rosebud  very  fine  sandy  loam.,  shallow  yJiase. — The  shallow  phase 
of  the  Rosebud  very  fine  sandy  loam  consists  of  a  brown  to  dark- 
brown  very  fine  sandy  loam.  In  the  more  nearly  le^^el  areas,  where 
erosion  has  not  been  active,  the  soil  changes  at  a  depth  of  8  to  12 
inches  to  a  light  brown  or  light  gray,  which  becomes  gradually 
lighter  until  the  parent  rock  is  reached.  The  texture  of  the  sub- 
soil on  these  more  level  lying  areas  corresponds  largely  to  the  texture 
of  the  overlying  surface  material.  Where  the  surface  soil  approaches 
a  silt  loam  the  subsoil  is  usually  fine  in  texture,  and  where  a  coarser 
material  i)redominates  in  the  surface  the  subsoil  is  often  a  very 
fine  sandy  loam.  The  underlying  calcareous  sandstone  from  which 
the  phase  is  derived  is  nowhere  more  than  3  feet  below  the  surface 
and  over  most  of  the  phase  it  is  exposed  in  patches  giving  a  char- 
acteristic white  spotted  appearance.  The  soil  is  deficient  in  organic 
matter. 

The  phase  is  extensively  developed  on  the  table-land  in  the  southern 
part  of  the  county.  It  occurs  chiefly  as  narrow  sinuous  strips  along 
the  breaks  into  stream  valleys,  and  as  large,  irregular  shaped  bodies 
around  the  heads  of  drainage  ways,  where  erosion  has  removed  the 
soil  as  fast  as  weathering  has  broken  down  the  parent  rock.  One 
of  the  largest  bodies  lies  around  the  head  of  Lawrence  Fork,  in  the 
southeastern  part  of  the  area.  Several  smaller  though  typical  areas 
may  be  seen  along  the  Harrisburg-Kimball  wagon  road  in  the  south- 
central  part  of  the  county. 

The  topography  is  rolling  to  hilly  and  in  places  broken,  though 
not  quite  so  rough  and  dissected  as  the  areas  of  Rough  broken  land. 
The  phase  occupies  the  sharply  cut  stream  valleys  where  erosion 
has  left  large  areas  of  the  rock  exposed.  Drainage  as  a  rule  is 
excessive. 

The  phase  is  unsuited  to  crop  production,  the  nearness  of  the  bed 
rock  to  the  surface  preventing  the  use  of  farm  implements  even 
where  the  topography  is  favorable.  It  is  used  chiefly  as  pasture 
land,  although  some  hay  is  cut  on  the  more  level  areas.  The  yields 
are  usually  Ioav,  seldom  exceeding  one-half  ton  per  acre.  The 
grasses  consist  of  grama,  western  wheat  grass,  wire  grass,  stipa,  and 
sand  gi-asses.     The  nutritious    sedge,  blackroot,  occurs  also    quite 


SOIL   SURVEY   OF   BANXER   COUNTY,    NEBRASKA.  31 

extensively  on  this  phase,  and  some  yucca  is  encountered  on  the 
more  exposed  points.  In  the  rougher  sections  scrub  pine  occasionally 
occurs,  though  areas  supporting  tree  growth  are  generally  sufficiently 
dissected  to  be  classed  with  Eough  broken  land.  The  grazing  of 
beef  cattle  is  the  chief  industry.  From  8  to  12  acres  is  sufficient 
to  pasture  one  cow  or  steer  throughout  the  year,  provided  hay  is  fed 
during  severe  weather. 

The  land  is  valued  at  $12  to  $15  an  acre,  depending  upon  improve- 
ments and  distance  from  markets. 

EOSEBUD  LOAM. 

The  soil  of  the  Rosebud  loam  consists  of  8  to  10  inches  of  dark 
grayish  brown  to  brown  mellow  loam.  It  is  fine  in  texture,  contain- 
ing a  relatively  high  percentage  of  silt  and  only  a  small  proportion  of 
coarser  materials,  except  in  local  spots  where  gravel  has  rolled  down 
from  more  elevated  types  or  been  brought  to  the  surface  by  burrowing 
animals.  The  surface  soil  is  high  in  organic  matter  and  the  upper 
6  inches  is  usually  darker  in  color  than  the  subsurface  layer,  owing 
to  a  concentration  of  this  material.  The  color  gradually  becomes 
lighter  with  depth  and  apparently  there  is  little  organic  matter  below 
24  inches,  at  which  depth  there  is  a  rather  abrupt  change  to  the 
light-gray  or  almost  white,  loose,  floury  subsoil  so  characteristic  of 
the  heavier  Rosebud  types.  In  a  few  places  the  upper  subsoil  con- 
tains a  higher  percentage  of  coarse  particles  than  the  surface  ma- 
terial, and  numerous  white  gravelly  fragments  of  calcareous  rock 
and  considerable  coarse  sand  is  encountered  in  the  lower  subsoil.  The 
type  has  been  derived  from  the  disintegration  and  decomposition 
of  the  underlying  rock  formations. 

The  Rosebud  loam  is  a  very  extensive  soil  on  the  table-land  in 
the  southern  part  of  the  county.  The  largest  development  is  in  the 
southwestern  part,  where  it  is  the  principal  soil.  In  the  south- 
central  and  southeastern  parts  the  type  occurs  as  scattered  irregular 
shaped  bodies,  varying  in  size  from  a  few  acres  to  several  square 
miles.  The  type  is  not  uniform  over  large  areas  and  includes  many 
bodies  of  other  soils  within  its  boundaries. 

The  topography  is  gently  rolling  to  undulating,  with  occasional 
small  almost  flat  areas.  Some  of  the  smaller  areas  occur  as  shallow 
depressions  around  the  heads  of  draws. 

All  the  areas  have  good  though  not  excessive  surface  drainage  and 
underdrainage.    They  are  not  subject  to  erosion. 

The  Rosebud  loam  is  the  most  important  agricultural  soil  in  Ban- 
ner County.  It  is  friable  and  well  suited  to  farming  under  semiarid 
conditions.  About  50  per  cent  of  it  is  under  cultivation  and  the 
remainder  is  used  for  pasture  and  hay  land.  The  native  vegetation 
includes,  grama,  buffalo,  wire  grass,  western  wheat  grass,  and  black- 


32  FIELD    OPERATIONS   OF    THE    BUREAU    OF    SOILS,    1919. 

root.  Of  the  cultivated  crops,  wheat  ranks  first  in  acreage  and  is  the 
chief  cash  crop.  Spring  wheat  is  planted  most  extensively  and  the 
durum  wheats  are  the  leading  varieties.  Turkey  is  the  principal 
winter  wheat.  It  has  come  into  prominence  within  the  last .  few 
years,  as  it  gives  a  higher  yield  and  usually  sells  for  more  on  the 
market  than  the  spring  varieties.  Rye,  oats,  corn,  and  potatoes  rank 
in  acreage  in  the  order  named.  Most  of  the  rye  is  sold  outside  the 
county,  though  some  is  used  for  feeding  purposes.  Corn  and  oats 
are  fed  to  work  stock  and  cattle.  Only  the  earliest  maturing  crops 
are  grown,  on  account  of  the  shortness  of  the  growing  season. 
Potatoes  are  generally  consumed  on  the  farms  where  produced, 
though  a  few  farmers  grow  them  on  a  commercial  scale.  The  quality 
of  the  crop  is  as  good  as  that  obtained  on  any  other  soil  in  the  High 
Plains  region.  Early  Ohio  and  Trimuph  are  the  principal  varieties. 
A  small  amount  of  alfalfa  is  grown,  but  the  crop  does  not  seem  to 
thrive  on  this  soil,  probably  on  account  of  insufficient  soil  moisture, 
3  cuttings  are  obtained  only  in  the  most  favorable  years.  Millet, 
sorghum,  and  kafir  are  planted  on  a  few  farms  for  winter  feed. 
These  crops  do  well  and  seldom  fail  to  furnish  forage. 

As  on  most  of  the  soil  in  this  county  live  stock  is  the  principal 
source  of  farm  income.  Beef  cattle  are  raised  almost  exclusively, 
although  nearly  every  farmer  owns  a  few  milk  cows  and  sells  his 
surplus  dairy  products.  Many  farms  have  a  small  herd  of  horses. 
The  beef  cattle  are  usually  shipped  in  the  fall  after  coming  off 
summer  pasture,  though  a  small  number  are  run  on  the  range 
throughout  the  year,  hay  being  fed  during  severe  weather.  The 
principal  breeds  are  grade  Herefords  and  Shorthorns. 

The  yields  of  all  crops  show  wide  variations  from  year  to  year, 
depending  mainly  upon  the  amount  and  distribution  of  the  rainfall. 
The  average  yield  of  wheat  is  15  bushels;  r5'e,  20  bushels;  oats,  30 
bushels;  corn,  15  bushels;  and  potatoes,  75  bushels  per  acre.  When 
cut  for  fodder,  corn  yields  from  1  to  5  tons  per  acre. 

The  sod  land  is  usually  broken  to  a  depth  of  3  or  4  inches  with 
plows  or  tractors,  and  as  soon  as  possible  thereafter  it  is  disked  or 
harrowed  to  fill  up  the  space  between  the  furrow  slices,  a  practice 
necessary  to  prevent  excessive  loss  of  moisture.  The  soil  under  cul- 
tivation is  plowed  only  every  2  or  3  years,  but  is  well  disked  each 
year  before  planting  to  grain.  Most  of  the  corn  is  listed  in,  though 
some  is  planted  on  sod  breaking.  Small  grain  is  planted  with  a 
press  drill.  Many  tractors  are  in  use  on  the  type  and  the  plowing, 
disking,  and  seeding  is  sometimes  done  in  one  operation. 

The  small  grain  is  cut  with  a  binder  or  header  and  stacked  for 
later  thrashing.  A  few  farmers  own  "  combines  "  and  do  their  own 
thrashing.  Crop  rotation  is  not  practiced,  and  little  or  no  manure 
is  applied  to  the  land. 


SOIL   SUR\TEY   OF   BANNER   COUNTY,   NEBRASKA.  33 

The  Rosebud  loam  sells  for  $60  to  $75  an  acre,  depending  upon  its 
improvements  and  location. 

As  with  the  Rosebud  silt  loam  the  conservation  of  soil  moisture  is 
the  most  important  factor  in  farming  this  type.  Fall  plowing  for 
spring  planting  and  constant  stirring  of  the  surface  soil  should 
greatly  increase  the  productive  power  of  the  land. 

KOSEnVD   SILT  I.OAM. 

The  surface  soil  of  the  Rosebud  silt  loam,  which  has  an  average 
depth  of  10  inches,  consists  of  a  loose,  mellow  silt  loam  containing 
varying  portions  of  fine  sand  and  very  fine  sand.  The  material  is 
usually  brown  in  color,  but  ranges  from  light  brown  to  dark  brov>m, 
the  shade  depending  on  the  content  of  organic  matter.  The  darker 
and  deeper  soils  occur  on  the  flatter  areas,  where  weathering  is  well 
advanced.  The  upper  subsoil  is  a  light-brown  silt  loam  passing  into 
a  yellow  or  grayish-yellow,  almost  pure  silt.  Below  about  20  inches 
it  gradually  becomes  lighter  in  color  and  at  24  inches  is  usually  a 
white  to  ashy-gray,  loose,  floury  silt  or  silty  clay.  This  material 
continues  below  the  3-foot  level. 

The  dark  layer  of  the  upper  subsoil  is  often  slightly  compact  when 
undisturbed,  but  easily  reduces  to  a  loose,  friable  structure.  The 
surface  soil  has  a  moderate  lime  content.  The  subsoil  is  calcareous 
throughout,  and  the  white  material  forming  the  lower  part  is  largely 
composed  of  lime.  Fragments  of  limestones  or  calcareous  sand- 
stone are  often  encountered  in  the  lower  subsoil.  The  partially 
weathered  Arikaree  formation  underlies  the  entire  type  at  a  depth 
of  4  to  6  feet,  and  in  the  more  rolling  areas  it  outcrops  in  places, 
giving  rise  to  characteristic  white  spots  on  the  hillsides.  The  tj'pical 
Rosebud  silt  loam  is  residual  in  origin,  being  derived  by  weather- 
ing from  the  calcareous  sandstones  of  Tertiary  age.  The  weathered 
products  of  the  White  River  beds  have  been  included  in  places, 
especially  along  the  bluff  line  bordering  the  southern  table-land. 

The  Rosebud  silt  loam  is  an  extensive  soil  in  Banner  County. 
The  largest  development  is  in  the  southeastern  part  of  the  county, 
on  the  eroded  table-land.  Scattering  areas  lie  in  the  southwestern 
part  of  the  county.  The  type  generally  occurs  as  large  irregular- 
shaped  bodies,  cut  across  by  and  including  soils  of  several  other  types. 
A  large  area,  and  one  of  the  most  uniform,  lies  in  the  vicinity  of 
the  Kirk  School.  A  small  but  very  typical  body  occurs  around 
Flowerfield,  in  the  southwestern  part  of  the  county. 

The  topography  ranges  from  almost  flat  to  rolling.  The  large 
area  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Kirk  School  has  a  generally  flat  surface. 
By  far  the  greater  part  of  the  type,  however,  occupies  a  smooth  or 
very  gently  undulating  plain.     The  most  rolling  areas  occur  around 


34  FIELD   OPERATIONS  OF   THE   BUREAU    OF   SOILS,   1919. 

the  heads  of  streams  in  the  south-central  part  of  the  county.  The 
general  direction  of  the  drainage  is  southeast.  Even  in  the  almost 
flat  situations  there  is  sufficient  slope  to  afford  an  outlet  for  the 
surface  water,  and  the  porous  subsoil  and  substratum  insure  ample 
underdrainage. 

The  type  is  a  very  important  agricultural  soil.  It  is  one  of  the 
best  dry-land  farming  soils  in  the  county.  About  40  per  cent  of 
it  is  under  cultivation,  and  the  rest  is  used  for  pasture  and  hay  land. 
The  native  vegetation  includes  grama  grass,  buffalo  grass,  wire 
grass,  western  wheat  grass,  and  blackroot.  The  most  important 
cultivated  crops  are  wheat,  potatoes,  r3^e,  oats,  and  corn.  Wheat 
occupies  the  largest  acreage  and  is  the  chief  cash  crop ;  much  of  the 
rye  produced  is  also  sold.  The  corn  and  oats  are  fed  to  work  horses. 
Potatoes  are  not  grown  so  extensively  as  in  some  of  the  other  counties 
of  western  Nebraska,  although  the  soil  is  well  adapted  to  their 
production.  After  supplying  home  needs  they  are  sold  in  the  local 
markets.  A  relatively  small  acreage  of  corn  is  planted,  on  account 
of  the  shortness  of  the  growing  season.  The  greater  part  of  the 
type  is  included  in  stock  farms  and  ranches,  on  which  beef  cattle, 
principally  grade  Herefords  and  Shorthorns  are  grazed.  Dairying 
is  not  practiced  commercially,  though  a  few  milk  cows  are  kept  on 
nearly  every  farm,  and  many  farmers  have  a  surplus  of  dairy  prod- 
ucts for  sale.  The  land  supports  40  to  60  head  of  cattle  per  square 
mile  the  year  around. 

Corn  yields  10  to  40  bushels  of  grain,  with  an  average  of  about 
20  bushels  per  acre.  When  cut  for  fodder,  from  1  to  4  tons  are  ob- 
tained. Wheat  yields  8  to  30  bushels;  potatoes,  50  to  150  bushels; 
oats,  15  to  45  bushels ;  and  rye,  10  to  30  bushels  per  acre.  Native  hay 
yields  one-fourth  to  1  ton  per  acre.  The  higher  yields  mentioned 
are  exceptional  and  obtained  only  in  very  favorable  years. 

The  Rosebud  silt  loam,  when  properly  managed,  can  easily  be  kept 
in  good  tilth  and  is  an  excellent  soil  for  dry  farming.  Under  present 
methods  of  cultivation  it  retains  sufficient  moisture  to  insure  good 
crops,  except  in  seasons  of  prolonged  drought.  When  plowed  wet 
there  is  a  slight  tendency  to  clod,  but  the  clods  are  easily  reduced. 
Little  or  no  attention  is  given  to  crop  rotation  as  the  soil  is  new  and 
in  no  immediate  danger  of  becoming  exhausted.  The  land  is  usually 
ploAved  every  second  or  third  year.  Small  grains  are  generally 
sowed  with  a  drill  on  disked  corn  or  stubble  land,  and  corn  usually 
follows  small  grain,  although  it  is  often  planted  on  newly-broken 
sod.  The  corn  is  listed  as  the  moisture  conditions  are  better  than 
when  planted  in  check  rows  on  a  level  surface. 

The  selling  price  of  the  Rosebud  silt  loam  ranges  from  $50  to  $75 
an  acre,  depending  upon  improvement  and  location. 


SOIL   SURVEY   OF   BANNER   COUNTY,    NEBRASKA.  35 

The  type  is  naturally  a  very  strong  soil,  and  the  crop  yields  de- 
pend in  a  large  measure  upon  the  conservation  of  soil  moisture. 
Thorough  preparation  of  the  seed  bed  is  ad\nsablG,  even  at  the  ex- 
pense of  a  reduction  of  the  acreage.  For  corn  and  other  tilled  crops 
the  maintenance  of  a  surface  mulch  by  frequent  cultivation  is 
necessary. 

EPPING    FINK    SANDY   LOAM. 

The  surface  soil  of  the  Epping  fine  sandy  loam  is  a  grayish-brown 
to  brown,  loose,  friable  fine  sandy  loam,  8  to  12  inches  deep.  There 
is  always  present  a  relatively  large  percentage  of  very  fine  sand  and 
considerable  silt.  The  depth  and  color  of  the  soil  varies  with  the 
topograph3^  In  the  more  level  areas,  where  conditions  have  favored 
the  accumulation  of  organic  matter,  it  is  darker  and  deeper  than 
elsewhere.  The  subsoil  is  a  light-brown  fine  to  very  fine  sandy  loam, 
which  becomes  lighter  in  color  with  depth,  and  at  a  depth  of  about 
24  inches,  grades  into  a  loose,  floury,  white  to  pinkish-white,  silty 
clay,  much  resembling  the  lower  subsoil  of  tlie  Epping  silt  loam  and 
very  fine  sandy  loam  types.  Both  the  soil  and  subsoil  are  deficient  in 
organic  matter.  The  soil  is  slightly  calcareous  and  the  lower  subsoil 
has  a  high  lime  content. 

The  type  is  derived  b}^  weathering  from  the  consolidated  clay  de- 
posits of  the  Brule  formation.  The  light  textured  surface  soil  is 
undoubtedly  due  to  accumulated  coarse  materials  from  adjoining 
types,  through  the  agencies  of  wind  and  water. 

The  Epping  fine  sandy  loam  is  extensively  developed  in  the  north- 
ern part  of  Banner  County.  It  occurs  as  scattered  areas  of  con- 
siderable size  throughout  the  Pumpkin  Creek  Valley  and  a  few  small 
bodies  lie  on  the  north  side  of  Wild  Cat  Ridge.  One  of  the  largest 
areas  occurs  on  the  north  side  of  Pumpkin  Creek,  in  the  north- 
central  part  of  the  county,  and  a  very  typical  body  is  mapped  in  the 
northwestern  part,  on  the  west  side  of  Bull  Canyon.  Nearly  all  the 
type  lies  contiguous  to  bodies  of  Bridgeport  loamy  fine  sand,  and  it 
has  probably  derived  much  of  its  sandy  surface,  through  the  addi- 
tion of  materials  blown  from  that  type. 

The  topography  of  the  Epping  fine  sandy  loam  ranges  from  gently 
undulating  to  rolling.  By  far  the  greater  part  occurs  on  the  long, 
gently  rolling  slopes  between  the  upland  and  Pumpkin  Creek.  The 
roughest  topography  is  adjacent  to  areas  of  Rough  broken  land, 
where  the  slopes  become  rolling  and  rather  steep. 

Drainage  is  everywhere  good.  The  uneven  topography  affords 
ample  outlet  for  all  surface  water  and  the  porous  soil  and  subsoil 
insures  thorough  underdrainage. 

The  type  is  not  an  important  farming  soil  in  Banner  County.  It 
has  a  tendency  to  blow  badly  when  cultivated  and  is  not  ver}^  re- 


36  FIELD   OPERATIONS  OF   THE   BUREAU    OF    SOILS,   1910. 

tentive  of  moisture  on  account  of  its  low  organic  content.  It  is 
nearly  all  used  for  pasture  and  hay  land,  though  there  are  occasional 
small  fields  under  cultivation.  The  native  vegetation  consists  largely 
of  sand  grass  and  stipa.  A  small  amount  of  buffalo  grass,  grama 
grass,  and  blackroot  are  encountered  on  the  less  sandy  areas. 

The  grazing  of  live  stock  is  the  chief  industry.  Beef  cattle  are 
raised  most  extensively.  Grade  Herefords  and  Shorthorns  are  the 
principal  breeds.  From  8  to  30  head  of  horses  are  kept  on  most 
farms.  On  the  cultivated  land  corn  is  the  chief  crop,  though  some 
small  grain  is  grown.  The  soil  is  not  adapted  to  the  latter,  however, 
on  account  of  its  loose  structure. 

Average  yields  of  about  12  bushels  of  corn  per  acre  are  obtained. 
In  exceptional  years  20  to  25  bushels  per  acre  have  been  raised. 
Native  hay  yields  one-fourth  to  one-half  ton  per  acre.  The  type  will 
support  from  30  to  40  head  of  cattle  throughout  the  year.  The  stock 
is  generally  shipped  v>^hen  2  or  3  years  old,  to  eastern  markets,  as 
feeders. 

The  selling  price  of  the  Epping  fine  sandy  loam  ranges  from  $15 
to  $20  an  acre. 

EPPING   VERY   FIKE    SANDY   LOAM. 

The  surface  soil  of  the  Epping  very  fine  sandy  loam  is  a  gray  to 
grayish-brown,  loose,  friable  very  fine  sandy  loam,  containing  a 
relatively  large  percentage  of  silt.  The  depth  of  the  soil  varies  with 
the  topographic  position.  On  the  more  level  lying  areas  where  con- 
ditions have  favored  undisturbed  weathering  and  the  accumulation 
of  organic  matter,  it  is  8  to  10  inches.  Over  most  of  the  type,  how- 
ever, the  average  depth  is  about  6  inches. 

The  upper  subsoil  is  a  gray  very  fine  sandy  loam.  This  changes 
gradually  into  a  light-gray  silt  loam  to  silty  clay,  which  at  about  24 
inches  becomes  a  white  or  pinkish-white,  loose  floury  material  re- 
sembling the  lower  subsoil  of  the  Rosebud  silt  loam.  Both  the  soil 
and  subsoil  are  deficient  in  organic  matter.  The  surface  material  is 
slightly  and  the  subsoil  highly  calcareous. 

The  type  is  derived  by  weathering  from  the  underlying  Brule 
formation,  which  lies  in  most  places  from  3  to  5  feet  below  the  sur- 
face and  occasionally  outcrops,  giving  the  fields  a  spotted  appearance. 
The  very  fine  sand,  of  which  the  surface  soil  is  so  largelj'^  composed, 
probably  represents  material  blown  from  the  upland  and  from  the 
more  sandy  types  in  the  Pumpkin  Creek  Valley. 

The  Epping  very  fine  sandy  loam  is  the  most  extensive  valley  land 
soil  in  the  area.  It  occurs  in  large,  irregular  shaped  bodies  on  both 
sides  of  Pumpkin  Creek.  The  largest  development  is  on  the  south 
side  of  the  stream.  The  areas  vary  in  size  from  a  few  acres  to  many 
square  miles.     They  are  not  as  a  rule  uniform  throughout,  but  are 


SOIL  SURVEY   OF   BANNER    COUNTY,    NEBRASKA.  37 

cut  by,  and  include,  numerous  areas  of  other  types  of  soils.  One  of 
the  more  uniform  and  typical  areas  occurs  north  of  Bull  Canyon,  in 
the  northwestern  part  of  the  county.  The  longest  and  most  con- 
tinuous strip  borders  the  Rough  broken  land  on  the  north  side  of 
Pumpkin  Creek. 

The  topography  varies  from  almost  level,  as  in  the  flats,  to  steeply 
rolling  on  the  valley  slopes.  By  far  the  greater  part  of  the  type 
occurs  as  long  gradual  slopes  from  the  upland  to  the  creek  and  has  a 
gently  rolling  surface.  The  greatest  relief  is  adjacent  to  areas  of 
Rough  broken  land,  where  the  streams  have  cut  deep,  narrow  valleys. 
The  area  north  of  Bull  Canyon  presents  an  unbroken,  almost  flat 
surface. 

Drainage  is  everywhere  good  and  in  a  few  places  excessive.  In  the 
level  tracts  there  are  often  surface  irregularities,  such  as  washes  and 
gullies  which  carry  off  the  surplus  water.  The  loose,  jwrous  subsoil 
affords  ample  underdrainage. 

The  Epping  very  fine  sandy  loam  is  not  as  productive  as  most  of 
the  soils  on  the  table-land,  but  owing  to  its  large  extent  is  a  very 
important  agricultural  soil  in  Banner  County.  About  15  per  cent 
of  it  is  under  cultivation  and  the  remainder  is  used  for  pasture  and 
hay  land.  The  native  vegetation  consists  of  grama,  buffalo,  wire,  and 
western  wheat  grasses,  together  with  the  sedge  blackroot,  which 
supply  excellent  pasturage,  except  during  years  of  prolonged  drought. 
Of  the  cultivated  crops,  wheat,  rj^e,  oats,  and  corn  are  the  most  im- 
portant. Wheat  is  the  chief  cash  crop.  It  is  all  sold  outside  the 
county.  Rye  ranks  second  as  a  cash  crop,  though  some  of  it  is  fed 
locally  to  stock.  Most  of  the  oats  and  corn  are  fed  on  the  farms 
where  produced. 

Spring  wheat  is  grown  most  extensively,  though  winter  wheat  is 
increasing  in  acreage  each  year.  Kherson  and  Swedish  Select  are 
the  chief  varieties  of  oats.  Flint  corn  is  planted  more  extensively 
than  dent  varieties. 

Stock  raising  is  the  principal  source  of  farm  income,  and  about 
85  per  cent  of  the  land  is  devoted  to  this  industry.  Beef  cattle  are 
raised  almost  exclusively,  though  every  farmer  has  a  few  milk  cows 
and  a  small  herd  of  horses.  There  are  no  herds  of  purebred  cattle 
on  the  type,  but  most  of  the  stock  shows  large  admixture  of  Hereford 
or  Shorthorn  blood.  The  two-year  and  three-year  old  animals  are 
usually  shipped  in  the  fall  and  the  rest  kept  on  the  range  throughout 
the  year.  Grain  is  seldom  fed  to  any  but  the  work  stock.  Hay  is 
added  to  the  pasture  ration  during  severe  weather. 

Crop  yields  on  this  type  are  somewhat  below  the  average  for  the 
county,  owing  largely  to  the  deficiency  of  organic  matter,  which 
greatly  reduces  the  water-holding  capacity  of  the  soil. 


38  FIELD    OPERATTOIvrS   OF   THE   BUREAU   OF    SOILS,   1919. 

Wheat  and  rye  yield  from  10  to  14  bushels  per  acre,  oats  20  to  25 
bushels,  and  corn  10  to  15  bushels.  During  exceptionally  dry  years 
corn  fails  to  mature  grain  and  is  cut  for  fodder,  yielding  from  1  to  4 
tons  per  acre. 

Crop  rotation  is  not  practiced  and  no  manure  is  applied  to  farm 
crops  on  this  type.  The  soil  is  easy  to  handle  and  can  be  cultivated 
under  a  rather  wide  range  of  moisture  conditions.  It  forms  clods  if 
plowed  when  wet,  but  these  are  easily  broken  down  by  cultivation. 

The  selling  price  of  the  Epping  very  fine  sandy  loam  ranges  from 
$12  to  $35  an  acre,  depending  mainly  upon  the  topography  and 
location  as  affecting  the  use  to  which  the  land  is  suited.  As  most 
of  the  land  is  used  for  pasture,  the  price  is  generally  nearer  the 
lower  than  the  higher  figure. 

Eloping  very  -fine  sandy  lowin^  hasin  phase. — ^The  soil  of  the  Epping 
very  fine  sandy  loam,  basin  phase,  is  a  brown  to  grayish-brown  very 
fine  sandy  loam,  relatively  high  in  silt.  It  has  an  average  depth  of 
about  8  inches,  being  slightly  deeper  near  the  center  and  considerably 
shallower  along  the  boundaries  of  the  areas. 

The  subsoil  is  a  gray  to  light  grayish  brown  loose  floury  silt  loam 
to  silty  clay,  generally  throughout  the  3- foot  section.  In  places  the 
lower  subsoil — a  zone  below  '24  inches — changes  abruptly  to  a  pinkish- 
white  material,  much  resembling  that  of  the  subsoil  of  the  typical  soil. 
The  change  in  color  between  the  soil  and  subsoil  is  gradual.  Both 
are  deficient  in  organic  matter,  though  the  soil  contains  a  much  larger 
amount  of  this  material  than  that  of  the  main  type.  The  phase  is 
highly  calcareous  throughout  the  3-foot  section. 

The  phase  occupies  a  lower  position  than  any  of  the  other  Epping 
soils,  except  the  silt  loam,  basin  phase.  It  has  been  derived  in  much 
the  same  manner  as  that  phase,  but  coarser  material  has  entered  more 
largely  into  the  composition  of  its  surface  soil. 

The  phase  occurs  in  scattered  areas,  chiefly  on  the  south  slope  of 
the  Pumpkin  Creek  Valley.  Two  small  areas  lie  in  the  northwest 
corner  of  the  county,  on  the  north  side  of  Bull  Canyon.  The  bodies 
vary  in  size  from  a  few  acres  to  2  or  3  square  miles.  The  largest  and 
most  typical  one  lies  around  Harrisburg,  in  the  central  part  of  the 
county. 

The  surface  of  the  phase  is  almost  flat  and  presents  a  basinlike 
topography.  Drainage  ways  are  not  well  established  over  most  of 
the  phase,,  but  the  loose  porous  soil  and  subsoil  affords  ample  outlet 
for  the  light  rainfall  of  the  region. 

The  phase  is  not  at  present  an  important  agricultural  soil  in  this 
county,  and  only  a  small  proportion  of  it  is  under  cultivation.  It  is 
better  adapted  to  crops,  however,  than  most  of  the  Epping  types  and 
fair  yields  are  obtained  in  all  but  the  driest  years.  The  native  vege- 
tation consists  of  grama  grass,  buffalo  grass,  western  wheat  grass, 


SOIL  SURVEY   OF   BANNER   COUNTY,    NEBRASKA.  39 

and  blackroot,  which  affords  higher  yields  of  hay  and  better  pasture 
than  on  most  of  the  soils  of  the  county,  on  account  of  the  more 
favorable  moisture  conditions. 

The  grazing  of  beef  cattle  and  holies  is  the  principal  industry. 
The  phase  will  support  from  40  to  60  head  of  cattle  per  section  the 
year  round.  The  native  grasses  giA'e  one-half  to  1  ton  per  aero, 
depending  upon  the  rainfall.  AAHieat,  rye,  and  oats  are  the  principal 
cultivated  crops.  Wheat  any  rye  are  usually  sold  outside  the  county 
and  the  oats  fed  to  the  work  stock  on  the  farms  where  produced. 
The  average  yield  of  wheat  is  about  15  bushels,  rye  18  bushels,  and 
oats  25  bushels  per  acre. 

The  soil  is  easy  to  handle  and  can  be  cultivated  under  a  wide  range 
in  moisture  conditions.  It  is  more  retentive  of  moisture  than  the 
typical  soil,  as  it  has  a  slightly  greater  organic-matter  content.  It 
is  also  more  favorably  situated  than  the  latter  for  the  accumulation 
of  moisture. 

The  selling  price  of  the  phase  ranges  from  $20  to  $30  an  acre, 
depending  upon  improvements  and  location. 

By  increasing  the  acreage  of  cultivated  crops,  the  gross  income 
from  the  soil  could  be  greatly  augmented.  It  is  as  well  adapted  to 
crops  as  any  of  the  valley  soils,  except  those  of  the  Tripp  series. 

KPPIXG   SrLT  LOAM. 

The  typical  soil  of  the  Epping  silt  loam  is  a  gray  to  light  grayish 
brown,  loose,  friable  silt  loam  with  an  average  depth  of  6  inches. 
The  type  is  not  uniform  over  large  areas,  the  depth  and  color  of  the 
surface  soil  varying  with  the  topography  and  the  progress  of  erosion. 
On  the  more  level  areas  which  have  favored  undisturbed  weathering 
and  the  acciunulation  of  organic  matter,  the  soil  is  deeper  and  darker 
in  color  than  elsewhere,  being  a  dark  grayish  brown,  mellow  silt  loam, 
8  to  10  inches  deep. 

The  transition  in  color  between  the  soil  and  subsoil  is  rather 
abrupt.  The  upper  subsoil  is  a  light-gray  heavy  silt  loam.  This 
passes  gradually  into  an  almost  white  or  pinkish-white,  floury  silt 
loam  to  silty  clay,  which  generally  continues  throughout, the  3-foot 
section.  In  many  places,  however,  the  flesh-colored  silty  clay  of  the 
Brule  formation  is  encountered  at  20  to  40  inches  and  it  often  out- 
crops, giving  the  type  a  spotted  appearance,  similar  to  that  of  the 
Eosebud  soils. 

The  organic  matter  content  is  low  in  the  surface  soil  and  almost 
zero  in  the  subsoil.  There  is  an  abundance  of  lime  throughout  the 
soil  profile.  In  places  the  surface  soil  has  been  considerably  modified 
by  wind-blown  sands  and  approaches  a  very  fine  sandy  loam  in  tex- 
ture. Where  these  areas  were  of  sufficient  size  to  warrant  separation, 
they  were  mapped  as  Epping  very  fine  sandy  loam. 


40  FIELD   OPERATIONS   OF   THE   BUREAU   OF   SOILS,   1919. 

The  Epping  silt  loam  is  residual  in  origin,  having  weathered  from 
the  underlying  Brule  clay  formation.  This  is  a  slightly  consoli- 
dated, pale-pink  to  almost  white  clay,  which  gives  the  soil  its  light 
colored  floury  character. 

The  t^'pe  is  not  extensive  in  the  county.  It  occurs  mostly  on  the 
south  slopes  of  the  Pumpkin  Creek  Valley,  the  largest  body  lying  2 
miles  southeast  of  Harrisburg.  A  smaller  area  occupies  a  narrow 
strip  along  the  northern  edge  of  the  Eough  broken  land,  about  4 
miles  southeast  of  Harrisburg.  One  of  the  most  typical  bodies  lies 
about  2  miles  northeast  of  Bighorn  Mountain. 

The  topography  of  the  type  varies  from  steeply  rolling  to  undulat- 
ing, the  greater  part  being  gently  rolling.  It  is  roughest  in  the  areas 
adjacent  to  bodies  of  Eough  broken  land.  In  a  few  places  patches 
of  Brule  clay  are  badly  eroded,  giving  locally  a  typical  bad  land 
topography.     Drainage  is  good  and  in  places  excessive. 

The  Epping  silt  loam  is  unimportant  agriculturally,  and  a  very 
small  proportion  of  it  is  under  cultivation.  The  land  is  mostly  used 
for  grazing  horses  and  beef  cattle. 

The  native  vegetation  consists  of  buffalo  grass,  grama  grass, 
blackroot,  western  wheat  grass,  and  wire  grass.  On  the  cultivated 
areas,  wheat,  rye,  and  oats  are  the  principal  crops.  Spring  wheat 
is  grown  most  extensively.  The  type  is  not  as  productive  as  most  of 
the  table-land  soils,  on  account  of  its  lower  organic  matter  content. 
Wheat  gives  an  average  yield  of  about  12  bushels,  rye  12  baishels,  and 
oats  20  bushels  per  acre.  The  land  will  support  from  30  to  35  head 
of  cattle  per  section  the  year  round,  if  hay  is  fed  in  severe  weather. 

The  soil  is  easy  to  handle  on  account  of  its  loose,  friable  structure. 
It  has  a  tendency  to  clod  when  plowed  wet,  but  the  lumps  are  easily 
reduced.  No  definite  system  of  crop  rotation  is  practiced  and  manure 
is  not  ajDplied  to  the  land. 

The  selling  price  of  the  Epping  silt  loam  ranges  from  $12  to  $30 
an  acre,  depending  largely  upon  its  topography. 

Epping  silt  loam.^  hasin  phase. — There  is  a  small  body  of  Epping 
silt  loam,  basin  phase,  in  the  vicinity  of  Harrisburg.  which  deserves 
special  mention,  as  it  differs  considerably  from  the  typical  material. 

The  soil  is  a  brown  to  grayish-brown,  loose  friable  silt  loam,  8  to 
10  inches  deep.  It  is  high  in  organic  matter,  which  gives  the  surface 
a  darker  color  than  that  of  the  main  type.  The  upper  subsoil  differs 
little  either  in  color  or  texture  from  tlie  surface  material,  but  below 
about  20  inches  it  becomes  slightly  lighter  in  color,  being  a  light 
grayish  brown  to  gray  floury  silt. 

The  underlying  Brule  clay  formation  is  nowhere  more  than  4  feet 
below  the  surface  and  is  exposed  in  places  along  shallow  road  cuts. 

The  surface  of  this  phase  is  very  flat.  It  occupies  the  lowest  posi- 
tion in  the  general  basin  surrounding  Harrisburg.     The  type  has 


SOIL   SURVEY   OF   BAXXER    COUNTY;    NEBRASKA.  41 

been  derived  partly  by  weathering  from  the  underlying  Brule  for- 
mation under  conditions  of  poor  drainage  and  parti}'  by  transported 
silts,  carried  down  from  the  upland  by  streams.  The  drainage  in 
general  is  inadequate.  Surface  drainage  is  not  established,  though 
the  soil  is  sufficiently  porous  to  absorb  most  of  the  light  rainfall. 

The  phase  is  of  no  agricultural  importance.  It  contains  alkali  in 
spots,  and  this,  together  with  the  nearness  of  the  bedrock  to  the  sur- 
face, has  prevented  its  being  used  for  cultivated  crops.  It  is  all  in- 
cluded in  pasture  and  hay  land.  The  native  vegetation  consists  of 
a  thick  growth  of  grama  grass,  buffalo  grass,  and  western  wheat 
grass,  together  with  a  large  admixture  of  blackroot.  These  yield 
one-half  to  1  ton  of  hay  per  acre,  depending  upon  the  season. 

From  $30  to  $50  an  acre  is  asked  for  land  of  this  phase.  The  rela- 
tively high  price  is  due  to  nearness  to  Harrisburg  and  not  to  the 
agricultural  value  of  the  soil. 

VALENTIN'E    LOAMY    FINE    SAND. 

The  surface  soil  of  the  Valentine  loamy  fine  sand  consists  of  8 
to  12  inches  of  grayish-brown  to  brown,  loose,  friable  loamy  fine 
sand.  The  depth  and  color  of  the  soil  vary  with  the  topography.  In 
the  depressional  areas,  where  the  accumulation  of  organic  matter 
has  been  favored,  the  soil  is  deeper  and  darker  than  elsewhere.  The 
surface  6  inches  contains  sufficient  organic  matter  to  give  the  type 
its  loamy  character. 

The  subsoil  is  a  loose,  incoherent,  light  yellowish  brown  to  light- 
brown  fine  sand.  In  places  the  upper  subsoil  is  in  some  areas  slightly 
compact  but  the  hand  sample  crumbles  readily  under  pressure. 
Here  and  there  the  lower  subsoil  contains  a  considerable  amount  of 
silt  and  clay,  which  give  it  a  sticky^  consistency  when  wet.  The  sub- 
stratum is  a  loose,  incoherent,  gray  sand,  much  resembling  the  sub- 
soil of  the  Dunesancl.  Both  soil  and  subsoil  are  comparatively  low  in 
organic  matter  and  noncalcareous. 

The  origin  of  the  Valentine  loamy  fine  sand  is  difficult  to  deter- 
mine. It  was  originally  released  by  weathering  from  Tertiary  rocks, 
but  has  been  so  shifted  by  wind  and  water,  redeposited,  and  subse- 
quently weathered  that  it  is  not  possible  to  make  any  positive  classi- 
fication in  regard  to  origin. 

The  type  is  not  extensively  developed  in  Banner  County,  though 
there  are  a  few  areas  of  considerable  extent  along  the  north  county 
line.    The  largest  area  lies  east  of  the  head  of  Pumpkin  Creek. 

The  topography  is  gently  undulating  to  rolling.  The  surface  is 
broken  by  small  knolls  and  ridges  and  may  be  characterized  as  "  hum- 
mocky."  Drainageways  have  not  been  developed,  as  the  rainfall 
readily  sinks  into  the  porous  sand  and  there  is  practically  no 
run-off. 


42  FIELD   OPERATIOlSrS   OF   THE   BUREAU   OF   SOILS,   1919. 

On  account  of  its  incoherent  structure  and  the  danger  of  drifting 
when  the  protective  covering  of  grasses  is  destroyed  the  tjj'pe  is  not 
used  for  crop  production.  The  native  vegetation  consists  of  a  heavy 
growth  of  stipa,  grama  grass,  and  sand  grasses.  Hay  is  the  most 
important  crop.  Yields  of  one-half  to  three-fourths  ton  per  acre 
are  common.  The  type  will  carry  from  40  to  50  head  of  cattle  per 
square  mile  throughout  the  year  and  about  90  head  when  pastured 
only  during  the  winter  or  summer.  It  is  the  common  practice  to 
graze  cattle  on  the  hard  land  during  the  summer  months  and  to  use 
this  type  for  winter  range.  The  stipa  and  sand  grasses  have  longer 
stems  and  are  more  accessible  during  snowy  weather. 

The  price  of  the  Valentine  loamy  fine  sand  ranges  from  $15  to  $20 
an  acre. 

It  is  possible  by  careful  management  to  use  parts  of  this  type  for 
cultivated  crops.  In  other  counties  of  western  Nebraska  it  has  been 
found  to  be  well  adapted  to  the  White  Eureka  and  Cobbler  potatoes. 
By  planting  the  crop  in  lister  furrows  the  surface  of  the  soil  can 
be  kept  sufficiently  rough  to  minimize  the  damage  from  drifting. 

VAXENTINE    VEKY    FINE    SANDY    LOAM. 

The  surface  soil  of  the  Valentine  very  fine  sandy  loam  is  a  brown  to 
dark  grayish-brown,  loose,  friable,  very  fine  sandy  loam,  8  to  10  inches 
deep.  It  generally  contains  a  relatively  high  proportion  of  silt. 
The  organic  content  of  the  surface  6  inches  is  comparatively  high, 
giving  that  part  of  the  soil  a  darker  color  than  the  deeper  layers. 

The  subsoil  gradually  becomes  lighter  in  color  and  more  sandy 
with  depth  and  grades  at  about  30  inches  into  a  light  grayish  brown 
very  fine  sandy  loam  to  very  fine  sand.  In  a  few  places  the  lower 
subsoil  contains  a  larger  proportion  of  the  coarser  grades  of  sand 
than  the  soil  or  upper  subsoil.  The  content  of  organic  matter  de- 
creases with  depth,  and  below  24  inches  there  is  little  present.  Both 
soil  and  subsoil  are  noncalareous. 

The  origin  of  the  type  is  not  definitely  understood.  It  was  origi- 
nally released  from  Tertiary  material  and  has  been  transported, 
weathered,  and  reassorted  in  much  the  same  manner  as  the  Valen- 
tine loamy  fine  sand. 

The  Valentine  very  fine  sandy  loam  is  one  of  the  least  extensive 
soils  in  the  county;  it  occurs  in  but  three  small  bodies.  The  largest 
one  is  in  sections  21  and  22,  T.  20  N.,  R.  58  W.  Another  is  in  section 
19,  T.  20  N.,  R.  55  W.,  and  the  third  in  section  36,  T.  20  N.,  R.  53  W. 

The  topography  is  similar  to  that  of  the  Valentine  loamy  fine  sand. 
Surface  drainage,  however,  is  somewhat  better  established.  The 
type  has  ample  underdrainage,  owing  to  the  loose,  porous  nature  of 
the  soil  and  subsoil. 


SOIL   SURVEY   OF  BANNER  COUNTY,   NEBRASKA.  43 

The  land  is  not  used  for  cultivated  crops  on  account  of  its  small 
extent.  It  is  all  included  in  pasture  land.  The  native  vegetation 
consists  of  stipa,  sand  grass,  and  some  grama.  From  10  to  12  acres 
are  required  to  pasture  a  cow  or  steer  throughout  the  year. 

No  selling  price  can  be  given  for  the  soil  in  this  county  on  account 
of  its  small  acreage.  In  adjoining  counties,  where  it  is  extensively 
developed,  it  sells  for  $20  to  $25  an  acre,  depending  upon  improve- 
ments. 

The  type  is  well  adapted  to  the  production  of  all  crops  common  to 
the  region,  and,  where  of  sufficient  acreage  to  be  profitably  cultivated, 
ranks  very  favorably  with  the  Eosebud  very  fine  sandy  loam. 

MITCHELL  \'EKY   FINE   SANDY  LOAM. 

The  surface  soil  of  the  Mitchell  very  fine  sandy  loam  is  a  light- 
brown  to  grayish-brown  very  fine  sandy  loam,  6  to  10  inches  deep. 
There  is  usually  present  considerable  silt,  though  there  is  very  little 
sand  of  the  fine  and  medium  grades. 

The  typical  material  has  no  noticeable  textural  change  between  the 
soil  and  subsoil,  though  the  latter  becomes  slightly  lighter  in  color 
below  30  inches,  grading  into  a  light  grayish  brown  very  fine  sandy 
loam  to  silt  loam.  In  places  the  lower  subsoil  is  composed  of  alter- 
nate layers  of  silt  and  very  fine  sand.  The  type  is  deficient  in 
organic  matter.  It  has,  however,  a  higher  content  of  this  material 
than  most  of  the  soils  of  the  Epping  series.  It  is  unusually  retentive 
of  moisture,  considering  its  organic  content.  The  lower  subsoil  is 
highly  calcareous. 

The  type  differs  from  the  Tripp  soils,  which  it  closely  resembles, 
in  its  more  uniform  soil  profile  and  darker  colored  subsoil. 

The  Mitchell  very  fine  sandy  loam  is  not  extensively  developed  in 
Banner  County.  It  occurs  chiefly  along  the  northern  edge.  A  small 
body  is  mapped  along  one  of  the  tributaries  of  Willow  Creek,  about 
Z^  miles  west  of  Harrisburg,  while  a  larger  body  is  mapped  along 
the  main  stream  near  Gabe  Rock.  The  largest  and  most  uniform 
area  occurs  in  the  northwest  part  of  the  county,  about  2|  miles  north 
of  Bull  Canyon.  The  type  represents  alluvial  and  wind-blown  mate- 
rials derived  from  the  Brule,  Gering,  and  Arikaree  formations. 

The  topography  is  almost  flat  to  gently  undulating,  but  even  the 
flatter  tracts  have  sufficient  slope  to  afford  excellent  drainage. 

None  of  the  type  is  under  cultivation  in  Banner  County,  chiefly  on 
account  of  its  distance  from  market.  It  is  all  used  as  pasture  and 
hay  land.  The  native  vegetation  consists  of  grama,  buffalo,  and 
needle  grasses,  together  with  blackroot,  which  afford  good  pasture 
during  average  years. 


44  FIELD   OPEEATIOXS   OF   THE   BUEEAU   OF   SOILS,   1919, 

The  type  will  support  from  30  to  40  head  of  cattle  per  section 
when  grazed  throughout  the  year  and  about  80  head  when  pastured 
only  during  the  summer  months.  The  yield  of  hay  ranges  from  one- 
fourth  to  one-half  ton  per  acre,  depending  upon  the  rainfall. 

Land  of  this  type  sells  from  $20  to  $25  an  acre. 

The  type  is  as  well  adapted  to  dry  farming  as  the  Mitchell  silt 
loam  and  better  than  any  of  the  Epping  soils  except  the  very  fine 
sandy  loam,  basin  phase.  It  could  be  easily  tilled  and  cultivated 
under  a  wide  range  of  moisture  conditions,  and  by  careful  manage- 
ment grain  crops  would  greatly  increase  the  gross  income  from  the 
type. 

MITCHELL   SILT  LOAM. 

The  surface  soil  of  the  Mitchell  silt  loam  is  a  brown  to  light  gray- 
ish brown  silt  loam,  6  to  8  inches  deep,  containing  a  relatively  high 
percentage  of  very  fine  sand,  the  texture  in  a  few  places  approach- 
ing a  very  fine  sandy  loam.  The  subsoil  is  somewhat  variable 
in  character.  Over  most  of  the  type  it  differs  little  from  the  soil, 
becoming  slightly  lighter  in  color  and  haidng  a  somewhat  higher  con- 
tent of  very  fine  sand.  In  a  few  places  it  passes  at  about  20  inches 
into  a  light-gray  to  gray  very  fine  sandy  loam  stratum,  varying  in 
thickness  from  2  to  6  inches,  this  being  underlain  by  a  light-gray  silt. 
Locally  the  subsoil  has  a  higher  silt  content  than  the  surface  material, 
being  a  light-brown,  loose,  floury  silt  to  silty  clay.  While  the  soil 
and  subsoil  are  rather  deficient  in  organic  matter,  they  contain  a 
higher  percentage  than  the  Epping  silt  loam,  as  is  indicated  by  their 
somewhat  darker  color.     Both  soil  and  subsoil  are  calcareous. 

Only  one  area  of  the  Mitchell  silt  loam  is  mapped  in  Banner 
County.  This  lies  in  the  northeast  corner.  The  surface  is  flat, 
gently  sloping  to  the  north.  It  is  more  nearly  and  uniformly  level 
than  the  surface  of  any  other  type  in  the  county.  It  represents  col- 
luvial  and  wind-blown  materials,  derived  principally  from  the  Brule 
clay  and  to  a  lesser  extent  from  the  Gering  and  Arikaree  formations. 
Stream  channels  are  not  well  established  on  this  type,  but  with  the 
low  rainfall  even  the  slight  slope  existing  affords  excellent  drainage. 

The  Mitchell  silt  loam  is  of  little  importance  in  this  county ;  it  is 
of  small  extent,  and  a  very  small  proportion  is  under  cultivation. 
The  native  vegetation  consists  of  western  wheat  grass,  grama  grass, 
buffalo  grass,  and  blackroot.  These  afford  excellent  pasturage,  ex- 
cept during  the  driest  years.  Beef  cattle  and  horses  are  grazed  ex- 
tensively. 

Of  the  cultivated  crops,  wheat,  rye,  and  oats  occupy  the  largest 
acreages.  Some  corn  is  planted.  Wheat  and  rye  are  the  chief  cash 
crops.     Oats  and  corn  are  fed  to  stock  on  the  farms  where  produced. 

The  average  yield  of  wheat  or  rye  is  about  20  bushels  per  acre. 


SOIL   SURVEY   OF  BANNER  COUNTY,   NEBRASKA.  45 

Oats  yield  from  20  to  40  bushels  and  corn  15  to  25  bushels  per  acre, 
the  return  fluctuating  with  the  amount  of  rainfall. 

Land  of  this  type  sells  for  $25  to  $35  an  acre,  the  difference  in  price 
being  dependent  mainly  upon  the  character  and  condition  of  improve- 
ments. 

The  Mitchell  silt  loam  is  one  of  the  best  dry-land  farming  soils  in 
the  lowland  jDart  of  Banner  County.  The  soil  is  naturally  retentive 
of  moisture  and  is  well  adapted  to  all  crops  common  to  the  region. 
In  Scotts  Bluff  County  much  of  the  tj'^pe  is  under  irrigation.  It  is 
one  of  the  easiest  soils  to  irrigate  in  the  High  Plains  region,^  on  a-c- 
count  of  its  smooth,  gently  sloping  surface.  When  cultivated  with- 
out irrigation  the  surface  soil  drifts  badly,  unless  planted  to  winter 
cover  crops  or  plowed  early  in  the  spring  and  seeded  down. 

BRIDGEPORT   GRAVELLY    SANDY   LOAil. 

The  surface  soil  of  the  Bridgeport  gravelly  sandy  loam  to  a  depth 
of  8  to  10  inches  is  a  grayish-brown  to  brown,  loose,  incoherent  sandy 
loam,  containing  an  abundance  of  fine  and  coarse  gravel.  The  im- 
mediate surface  is  much  darker  than  the  lower  part  of  the  layer, 
owing  to  a  relatively  large  admixture  of  organic  matter.  There  is 
little  testural  change  throughout  the  3-foot  section,  though  material 
forming  the  subsoil  gradually  becomes  lighter  in  color  with  depth, 
being  in  the  lower  part  a  gray  to  light  grayish  brown,  gravelly,  sandy 
loam.  The  gravel  of  this  type  consists  chiefly  of  crystalline  rocks, 
of  many  different  kinds,  together  with  a  small  quantity  of  fragments 
of  white  calcareous  grit. 

The  tj^pe  differs  from  the  Rosebud  gravelly  sandy  loam  chiefly  in 
its  lower  lime  content  and  its  mode  of  formation.  The  Rosebud  type 
is  derived  by  weathering  in  place  from  the  coarser  strata  of  the 
Ogallala  foiination,  while  the  material  comprising  the  Bridgeport 
gravelly  sandy  loam  represents  coUuvial  sands  and  gravels,  trans- 
ported from  the  adjoining  uplands  by  wind,  water,  and  gravity. 

The  type  is  very  inextensive  in  Banner  County,  though  it  occurs  in 
numerous  areas  on  the  south  sloj^es  of  the  Pmnpkin  Creek  Valley. 
The  bodies  are  extremely  small,  however,  seldom  exceeding  50  acres. 
One  of  the  largest  lies  1^  miles  northeast  of  Harrisburg.  A  smaller 
body  occurs  about  three-fourths  mile  southeast  of  this  town.  A  very- 
typical  area  lies  1  mile  southeast  of  Willow  Springs. 

In  topography  this  soil  varies  from  smooth  and  gently  sloping  to 
steeply  rolling.  The  areas  in  many  places  lie  upon  the  crests  and 
around  the  edges  of  hilltops  and  narrow  ridges.  Drainage  in  most 
places  is  excessive. 

The  type  is  of  little  agricultural  importance.  Its  unfavorable 
location,  coarse  texture,  and  droughty  nature  prevent  its  use  for  culti- 


46  FIELD   OPERATIONS   OF   THE   BUREAU   OF   SOILS,   1919. 

vated  crops,  and  it  is  all  included  in  pastures  on  which  beef  cattle 
and  horses  are  grazed.  The  native  vegetation  consists  of  a  sparse 
growth  of  sand  grass,  stipa,  grama  grass,  and  blackroot,  the  last  a 
sedge. 

It  is  difficult  to  estimate  the  value  of  this  soil,  as  it  is  generally 
sold  in  connection  with  other  types.  Where  it  comprises  a  consider- 
able part  of  the  farm  land,  however,  it  greatly  lowers  the  selling 
price. 

BRIDGEPORT   LOAMY   FINE    SAND. 

The  Bridgeport  loamy  fine  sand  in  Banner  County  has  the  same 
color,  texture,  structure,  and  other  characteristics  as  that  mapped 
in  Morrill  County,  joining  on  the  east.  The  surface  soil  is  a  loose, 
incoherent,  light-brown  to  brown  loamy  fine  sand,  8  to  10  inches 
deep.  A  small  amount  of  organic  matter  in  the  upper  6  inches  gives 
this  layer  a  slightly  darker  color  than  that  of  the  material  below. 
It  is  this  organic  matter  that  gives  the  type  its  loamy  character. 
Scattering  gravel  are  found  on  the  surface. 

The  upper  subsoil  is  a  light  grayish  brown  to  gray  loamy  fine  sand 
to  fine  sand,  and  the  lower  subsoil-  from  about  24  inches  down  is  a 
loose,  incoherent,  gray  to  light-gray  fine  sand.  Both  soil  and  sub- 
soil contain  relatively  large  percentages  of  very  fine  sand.  The  type 
is  low  in  organic  matter  and  is  not  easily  built  up  on  account  of  its 
loose,  open  structure.  The  lower  subsoil  is  calcareous.  This  type 
differs  from  the  Valentine  loamy  fine  sand,  chiefly  in  the  gravel 
scattered  over  the  surface  and  in  the  calcareous  nature  of  the  lower 
subsoil. 

The  Bridgeport  loamy  fine  sand  is  an  extensive  soil  in  Banner 
County.  It  occurs  in  scattered  areas  over  the  colluvial  slopes,  on 
both  sides  of  Pumpkin  Creek.  The  largest  developments  lie  on  the 
south  side  of  the  stream.  One  body  was  mapped  on  the  north  side 
of  Wild  Cat  Ridge,  in  the  northeastern  part  of  the  county.  The 
areas  vary  in  size  from  a  few  acres  to  4  or  5  square  miles.  They 
are  generally  uniform  in  character  and  little  spotted  with  areas  of 
other  types  of  soils.  One  of  the  larger  bodies  lies  on  the  north  side 
of  Pumpkin  Creek,  in  the  northern  part  of  the  county.  A  much 
smaller  though  typical  area  is  mapped  near  the  mouth  of  Indian 
Springs  Canyon. 

As  with  the  other  soils  of  the  Bridgeport  series,  the  type  is  com- 
posed of  materials  that  have  been  blown  by  the  wind  or  washed  down 
by  water  from  the  adjoining  uplands.  Torrential  rains  have  un- 
doubtedly played  an  important  part  in  washing  down  the  soil  ma- 
terial. Much  of  the  type,  however,  has  been  so  modified  by  wind- 
blown material  that  its  exact  mode  of  formation  is  uncertain. 

The  type  occupies  flat  to  gently  undulating  slopes,  the  surface  of 
which  is  modified  by  occasional  depressions  and  low,-  rounded  hum- 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  BANNER  COUNTY,   NEBRASKA.  47 

mocks.  Drainage  is  good  and  as  a  result  of  the  loose  porous  soil 
and  subsoil  in  many  places  excessive.  Very  few  of  the  smaller  drain- 
age ways  are  continuous,  but  the  water  sinks  into  the  sand  and  passes 
underground  to  the  main  stream. 

Although  the  type  is  extensively  developed  in  Banner  County, 
little  or  none  of  it  is  under  cultivation  on  account  of  its  loose,  inco- 
herent structure  and  the  tendency  to  drift  badly  when  the  protective 
covering  of  sod  is  removed.  The  native  A'egetation  consists  of  stipa, 
sand  grass,  and  small  amounts  of  grama  grass,  and  blackroot.  The 
soil  is  all  included  in  large  ranches  and  stock  farms,  on  which  the 
raising  of  beef  cattle,  principally  grade  Hereford  and  Shorthorn  is 
the  principal  industry.  A  small  herd  of  horses  is  kept  on  nearly 
every  ranch.  The  type  will  support  from  35  to  40  head  of  stock  per 
square  mile  the  year  round.  The  soil  is  preferred  by  many  ranchers 
for  winter  grazing,  as  the  long  stemmed  stipa  and  sand  grass  is  more 
accessible  when  snow  covers  the  ground  than  the  short-stemmed 
grasses  of  the  hard  lands. 

The  Bridgeport  loamj^  fine  sand  ranges  in  selling  price  from  $15 
to  $25  an  acre. 

It  is  doubtful  if  this  type  should  be  used  for  cultivated  crops  on 
account  of  its  tendency  to  drift  when  disturbed. 

BRIDGEPORT   SANDY   LOAM. 

The  Bridgeport  sandy  loam  is  a  light-brown  to  grayish-brown 
sandy  loam,  6  to  12  inches  deep,  and  loose  and  incoherent  in  struc- 
ture. In  most  places  pebbles  are  scattered  through  the  surface  ma- 
terial. The  depth  and  color  of  the  soil  varies  with  its  topographic 
position.  It  is  deeper  and  darker  on  the  more  level  areas,  lying  at  a 
considerable  distance  from  bodies  of  Rough  broken  land. 

The  subsoil  consists  of  a  light-brown  to  light  grayish  brown,  in- 
coherent, sandy  loam  to  sand,  which  becomes  gradually  lighter  in 
color  with  depth.  Small  gravel,  is  often  encountered  below  30  inches. 
The  soil  and  subsoil  are  deficient  in  organic  matter.  The  latter  is 
faintly  calcareous. 

The  type  is  of  small  extent.  It  occurs  chiefly  in  the  southeastern 
part  of  the  county,  and  represents  colluvial  and  alluvial  material 
washed  from  the  uplands.  One  of  the  largest  bodies  lies  on  the  east 
side  of  Bighorn  Gulch.  A  smaller  area  occurs  on  the  south  side  of 
Lawrence  Fork,  near  the  eastern  county  line. 

The  areas  consist  of  gradual  to  fairly  steep  slopes,  having  a  flat  to 
gently  undulating  surface.  The  slopes  are  steepest  along  the  borders 
farthest  from  stream  channels.  The  drainage  is  generally  exces- 
sive, owing  to  the  porous  nature  of  the  subsoil.  It  is  difficult  to  trace 
drainage  channels  across  the  type,  as  much  of  the  surface  water  sinks 
into  the  sand. 


48  FIELD   OPERATTOi^S   OF   THE   BUEEAU   OF    SOILS,   1919. 

The  soil  is  not  important  agriculturally  on  account  of  its  small 
extent  and  low-moisture  retaining  power.  It  is  all  used  as  pasture 
and  hay  land.  The  native  vegetation  consists  largely  of  stipa  and 
sand  grasses,  with  which  there  is  a  small  admixture  of  grama  grass. 
The  type  is  capable  of  supporting  from  25  to  35  head  of  cattle  per 
square  mile  throughout  the  year,  or  about  twice  that  number  when 
grazed  only  during  the  summer  season.  The  native  grasses  yield 
one-fourth  to  one-half  ton  of  hay  per  acre,  depending  upon  the 
rainfall. 

The  Bridgeport  sandy  loam  sells  for  $15  to  $25  an  acre.  It  is 
usually  sold  in  connection  with  surrounding  soils. 

It  is  possible  to  cultivate  part  of  the  tj'^pe  and  by  careful  manage- 
ment fairly  good  crops  could  be  obtained.  The  soil  should  be 
plowed  and  seeded  early,  however,  as  there  is  danger  of  drifting 
when  the  surface  is  left  unprotected.  Only  the  more  level  areas, 
where  conditions  are  most  favorable  for  the  accumulation  of  or- 
ganic matter  and  moisture,  should  be  cultivated. 

BEIDGEPOKT    FINE    SANDY    LOAM. 

The  surface  soil  of  the  Bridgeport  fine  sandy  loam  is  a  brown  to 
grapsh-brown,  loose,  friable  fine  sandy  loam,  with  an  average  depth 
of  10  inches.  There  is  present  in  most  places  a  relatively  large  per- 
centage of  very  fine  sand  and  a  few  small,  water- worn  pebbles.  The 
depth  and  color  of  the  soil  varies  with  the  topography.  The  imme- 
diate surface  layer  is  considerably  darker  than  the  lower  portion, 
as  it  contains  a  larger  amount  of  organic  matter. 

Over  most  of  the  type  the  subsoil  differs  little  from  the  soil,  except 
that  it  becomes  slightly  lighter  in  color  and  the  sand  content  in- 
creases with  depth.  In  a  few  places  the  material  below  30  inches  is  a 
light-gray,  loose,  incoherent,  medium  to  fine  sand.  Locally  numerous 
small  pebbles  are  encountered  below  24  inches. 

The  surface  soil  of  this  type,  while  somewhat  deficient  in  organic 
matter,  contains  a  much  larger  amount  than  that  of  the  Bridgeport 
loamy  fine  sand,  which,  together  with  its  larger  silt  and  very  fine 
sand  content,  gives  it  greater  coherency.  The  lower  subsoil  is 
slightly  calcareous. 

The  type  occurs  on  both  sides  of  Pum])kin  Creek  throughout  the 
county.  The  largest  developments  are  on  the  south  side  of  the 
stream.  A  small  area  was  mapped  in  the  northeastern  corner  of  the 
county,  on  the  north  side  of  Wild  Cat  Ridge.  The  bodies  vary  in 
size  from  a  few  acres  to  several  square  miles.  They  are  relatively 
continuous  and  uniform  in  texture.  One  of  the  largest  areas  occurs 
about  4  miles  north  of  Harrisburg,  on  the  south  side  of  Pumpkin 
Creek.  A  very  typical  area  of  much  smaller  extent  lies  about  2  miles 
northwest  of  Gabe  Rock. 


SOIL   SURVEY   OF   BAiSTNER   COUNTY,    NEBRASKA.  49 

The  type  represents  alluvial  and  colluvial  slope  material.  Tor- 
rential rains  and  strong  winds  have  undonbtedl}^  played  an  im- 
portant part  in  its  formation. 

The  soil  occupies  rolling  to  gently  undulating  slopes.  Both  the 
surface  and  subsurface  drainage  are  good,  though  in  no  place  ex- 
cessive. 

The  type  is  a  relatively  important  agricultural  soil  in  Banner 
County,  on  account  of  its  large  extent.  It  is  not  so  well  adapted  to 
cultivated  crops  as- some  of  the  finer  textured  types,  but  with  care- 
ful management  gives  fairly  good  yields  in  average  years.  About 
15  per  cent  of  it  is  under  cultivation,  and  the  rest  is  included  in  large 
stock  farms  and  ranches  on  which  beef  cattle  and  horses  are  grazed. 
The  native  vegetation  consists  of  stipa,  sand  grass,  grama  grass,  and 
a  small  amount  of  blackroot. 

Of  the  cultivated  crops,  wheat  occupies  the  largest  acreage  and  is 
the  chief  cash  crop.  Rye,  oats,  and  corn  are  grown  to  a  considerable 
extent.  Most  of  the  rye  is  sold  outside  the  county,  though  some  is  fed 
on  the  farms  where  produced.  Corn  and  oats  are  all  fed  to  stock. 
Spring  wheat  is  grown  more  extensively  than  winter  wheat,  though 
the  latter  is  gaining  in  acreage  each  year.  Only  the  earliest  matur- 
ing varieties  of  corn  are  planted,  on  account  of  the  shortness  of  the 
growing  season.  Wheat  yields  12  to  15  bushels,  rye  15  to  18  bushels, 
oats  20  to  30  bushels,  and  corn  12  to  15  bushels  per  acre. 

Beef  cattle  are  generally  shipped  in  the  fall,  when  2  or  8  years 
old,  to  eastern  markets  as  feeders. 

No  crop  rotation  is  practiced.  The  soil  is  easily  handled  and 
can  be  cultivated  under  any  moisture  conditions  without  injury.  It 
has,  however,  a  tendency  to  blow  badly  unless  carefully  managed. 

The  land  of  this  type  sells  for  $20  to  $30  an  acre,  depending  upon 
the  improvemnts  and  location. 

The  cultivated  areas  should  either  be  seeded  to  winter  cover  crops 
or  plowed  and  seeded  very  early  in  the  spring  in  order  to  prevent 
the  soil  from  drifting.  It  is  advisable  to  grow  crops  requiring  the 
minimum  amount  of  tillage  and  when  cultivating  to  leave  the  sur- 
face soil  as  rough  as  possible. 

BRIDGEPORT   VERY    FINE   SANDY    LOAM. 

The  surface  soil  of  the  Bridgeport  very  fine  sandy  loam  consists 
of  8  to  14  inches  of  loose,  mellow,  brown  to  grayish-brown  very  fine 
sandy  loam.  The  surface  6  inches  is  generally  darker  in  color  than 
the  lower  portion,  owing  to  a  slightly  larger  content  of  organic  mat- 
ter. In  places  the  surface  soil  contains  an  unusually  large  amount  of 
very  fine  sand  and  approaches  a  loamy  very  fine  sand  in  texture. 
There  is  little  change  in  the  color  or  texture  of  the  material  until  a 


50  FIELD   OPERATIONS   OV   THE   BUREAU    OF    SOILS,   1919. 

depth  of  24  inches  is  reached.  Below  this  the  subsoil  is  a  light-gray, 
loose,  incoherent  very  fine  sandy  loam  to  very  fine  sand.  The  type 
contains  scattered  gravel  throughout  the  3-foot  section.  The  lower 
subsoil  is  calcareous. 

The  Bridgeport  very  fine  sandy  loam  is  inextensive  in  this 
county.  It  occurs  as  small  scattered  bodies  in  the  eastern  part.  One 
of  the  largest  areas  lies  on  the  south  side  of  Pumpkin  Creek,  just 
east  of  Bighorn  Gulch,  and  a  very  typical  body  along  the  Banner- 
Morrill  County  line,  east  of  Chalk  Creek. 

The  type  represents  colluvial  and  alluvial  wash  from  the  uplands, 
greatly  modified  by  wind-blown  material  from  the  Ogallala  and 
Arikaree  formations.  The  soil  is  of  comparatively  recent  origin,  as 
is  shown  by  the  uniformity  of  color  and  texture  throughout  the 
3-foot  section. 

Areas  of  this  soil  occupy  smooth  to  gently  undidating  slopes. 
Drainage  is  good  though  not  excessive,  considering  its  loose  struc- 
ture. 

Owing  to  its  small  extent,  the  type  is  not  used  for  cultivated  crops 
in  Banner  County,  but  it  is  all  of  some  value  as  pasture  and  hay  land. 
The  native  vegetation  consists  of  stipa,  sand  grass,  grama  grass, 
buffalo  grass,  and  blackroot.  These  afford  excellent  pasturage  in 
all  but  the  driest  years.  When  not  grazed,  from  one-fourth  to  one- 
half  ton  of  hay  can  be  obtained  from  an  acre  of  land.  The  type  will 
support  from  30  to  50  head  of  cattle  per  section,  the  number  varying 
with  the  growth  of  the  grasses,  which  is  controlled  by  the  rainfall. 

Land  of  this  type  sells  for  $20  to  $25  an  acre.  It  rarely  forms  an 
entire  farm  or  ranch,  so  that  this  is  the  price  it  brings  in  connection 
with  other  types. 

The  Bridgeport  very  fine  sandy  loam  is  well  adapted  to  farming  in 
a  region  of  light  rainfall,  and  where  it  occurs  in  large  bodies  is  a 
very  important  agricultural  soil.  In  Morrill  County  a  considerable 
acrefige  of  the  type  under  irrigation  is  being  used  in  the  production 
of  sugar  beets,  potatoes,  wheat,  corn,  oats,  and  alfalfa. 

CHEYENNE  GKAVEI.l.Y   SANUY  LOAM. 

The  surface  soil  of  the  Cheyenne  gravelly  sandy  loam  consists  of 
about  10  inches  of  light-brown  sandy  loam,  containing  much  small 
gravel.  The  soil  is  usually  low  in  organic  matter,  though  the  surface 
6  inches  is  somewhat  darker  than  the  lower  portion,  as  the  result 
of  admixture  of  a  small  amount  of  this  material.  The  change  in 
color  and  texture  is  very  gradual  throughout  the  3-foot  section,  but 
the  subsoil  below  24  inches  is  a  light  grayish  brown,  loose,  gravelly 
sandy  loam  containing  little  or  no  organic  matter.  The  gravel  oc- 
curring throughout  this  type  is  composed  of  a  great  variety  of  crys- 


SOIL   SURVEY   OF   BANNER   COUNTY,    NEBRASKA.  51 

talline  rocks,  together  with  numerous  small  fragments  of  calcareous 
sandstone. 

The  Cheyenne  gravelly  sandy  loam  is  not  an  extensive  soil  in 
Banner  County.  It  occurs  as  narrow  strips  along  the  dry  drainage- 
ways  in  the  southern  part  of  the  area.  The  largest  development  is 
along  Kocky  Hollow,  on  the  east  side  of  the  Kimball-Minatare-Al- 
liance  highway.  Smaller  bodies  lie  along  Long  Canyon  and  Willow 
Creek. 

The  type  is  composed  of  alluvial  terrace  material,  that  has  been 
transported  from  the  uplands,  chiefly,  during  torrential  rains  and 
deposited  along  the  stream  channels. 

The  topography  is  flat.  Drainage,  however,  is  in  most  places  ex- 
cessive on  account  of  the  loose,  open  structure  of  the  soil  and  sub- 
soil. 

The  type  is  all  included  in  pasture  lands.  The  native  vegetation 
consists  of  a  sparse  growth  of  grama,  sand  grass,  and  stipa.  The 
type  is  not  considered  very  valuable  even  as  grazing  land,  and  it 
has  a  tendency  to  reduce  the  selling  price  of  farms  in  which  it  occurs. 

CHEYENNE    SANDY    LOAM. 

The  surface  soil  of  the  Cheyenne  sandy  loam  consists  of  10  to  14 
inches  of  brown  to  grayish-brown  sandy  loam  containing  a  relatively 
large  proportion  of  fine  and  very  fine  sand  and  some  fine  gravel. 
The  organic  content  of  the  surface  6  inches  is  comparatively  high, 
the  upper  layer  of  the  soil  being  darker  on  this  account. 

The  upper  subsoil  differs  little  from  the  surface  material  in  tex- 
ture, though  gradually  becoming  lighter  in  color.  The  subsoil,  below 
about  24  inches,  is  a  loose,  porous  mass  of  sand  and  gravel  much 
resembling  that  of  the  gravelly  sandy  loam  and  loam  types.  The 
organic  matter  is  usually  entirely  lacking  below  30  inches. 

The  soil  is  of  small  extent  in  this  county,  although  it  occupies  a 
larger  acreage  than  any  of  the  other  Cheyenne  types.  It  occurs 
chiefly  along  the  larger  drainage  ways,  contiguous  to  bodies  of 
Cheyenne  gravelly  sandy  loam,  in  the  southern  part  of  the  area. 
One  of  the  largest  bodies  lies  along  Willow  Creek.  A  typical 
development  is  mapped  along  Lawrence  Fork  in  the  southeastern 
part  of  the  county,  and  narrow  strips  along  Chalk  Creek,  Hack- 
berry  Creek,  Bighorn  Gulch,  Indian  Springs  Canyon,  and  Long  Can- 
yon. The  type  represents  alluvial  terrace  material,  derived  in  the 
same  manner  as  the  other  Cheyenne  types. 

The  topography  is  flat  with  a  gentle  slope  toward  the  stream  chan- 
nels. Drainage  is  in  most  places  excessive,  on  account  of  the  loose 
porous  character  of  the  soil  and  subsoil. 

The  type  is  of  little  agricultural  importance  in  this  county,  and 
only  a  few  small  patches  are  under  cultivation.     Practically  all  the 


52  FIELD    OPERATIONS   GF   THE   BUREAU    OF/  SOILS,   1919. 

land  is  included  in  pastures  on  wliicli  the  grazing  of  beef  cattle  is 
the  principal  industry.  The  native  vegetation  consists  of  a  fair 
growth  of  sand  grass,  stipa,  and  grama  grass.  The  type  affords 
better  grazing  than  the  Chej'enne  gravelly  sandy  loam  but  makes 
poorer  pasture  than  the  loam  type. 

The  selling  price  of  this  soil  ranges  from  $12  to  $15  an  acre,  de- 
pending upon  improvements  and  location. 

It  is  doubtful  if  the  type  should  ever  be  used  in  crop  production, 
on  account  of  its  droughty  character.  It  drifts  badly  when  the 
native  grasses  are  destroyed. 

CHEYENNE  LOAM. 

The  soil  of  the  Chej^enne  loam  is  a  brown  to  light-brown,  coarse 
textured  loam,  10  to  12  inches  deep.  The  surface  6  inches  is  relatively 
high  in  organic  matter  and  is  considerably  darker  than  the  lower 
part  of  the  soil.  The  subsoil  gradually  becomes  coarser  in  texture 
with  depth,  and  at  24  inches  consists  of  a  loose  mass  of  coarse  sand 
and  gravel,  of  gray  to  grayish-brown  color. 

This  soil  does  not  diifer  materially  from  the  gravelly  sandy  loam 
and  sandy  loam  types,  except  in  the  texture  of  its  surface  soil. 

This  type  is  very  inextensive  in  Banner  County.  It  occurs  as  a 
few  scattered  bodies  along  the  drainage  ways  in  the  upland  division, 
the  largest  body  extends  northeastward  from  near  Lovers  Leap  to  a 
point  about  1  mile  north  of  the  Harrisburg-Scottsbluff  highway. 

The  type  is  composed  of  terrace  material,  washed  down  from  the 
upland  during  torrential  rains  and  deposited  in  the  stream  valleys. 
It  differs  from  the  Tripp  soils  chiefly  in  the  coarser  texture  of  its 
subsoil. 

The  surface  of  the  type  is  almost  flat,  sloping  gently  down  the  val- 
ley and  toward  the  stream  channels.  Drainage  is  generally  excessive 
and  the  type  is  somewhat  droughty. 

Owing  to  its  small  extent  and  low  moisture  retaining  power,  the 
Cheyenne  loam  is  used  only  for  j^asture  land.  It  supports  a  fairly 
good  growth  of  native  grasses,  chief  among  which  are  the  western 
wheat  grass,  grama  grass,  and  buffalo  grass.  The  pasturage  will 
maintain  one  cow  or  steer  throughout  the  j^ear  on  from  12  to  15  acres 
of  land. 

TRIPP  FINE   SANDY   I.OAJI. 

The  soil  of  the  Tripp  fine  sandy  loam  is  a  grayish-brown  to  brown, 
loose,  friable  fine  sandy  loam,  8  to  12  inches  deep,  with  the  material 
of  the  upper  6  inches  somewhat  darker  than  that  below.  The  sub- 
soil is  a  light  grayish  brown  to  light-gray,  loose,  floury  silt  loam  to 
very  fine  sandy  loam.  In  a  few  places  the  soil  shows  no  textural 
change  within  the  3-foot  section,  though  the  subsoil  is  invariably 


SOIL   SURVEY   OF   BANNER    COUNTY.    NEBRASKA.  53 

lighter  in  color  than  the  soil  and  highly  calcareous.  Over  small 
areas  the  soil  contains  a  larger  proportion  of  fine  and  medium  sand 
than  is  typical  and  approaches  a  loamy  fine  sand  in  texture,  and  in 
places  there  is  so  little  fine  material  present  that  the  soil  is  subject 
to  wind  erosion  when  plowed. 

This  type  is  not  extensive  in  Banner  County,  although  it  occupies 
a  larger  acreage  than  any  of  the  terrace  or  first  bottom  soils  in  the 
area.  It  occurs  chiefly  as  a  narrow,  elongated  strip,  varying  in  width 
from  a  few  rods  to  three- fourths  of  a  mile,  along  both  sides  of  Pump- 
kin Creek.  Smaller  bodies  are  mapped  along  the  larger  tributaries 
to  this  stream.  The  type  is  composed  of  sediments  carried  down 
from  the  adjoining  uplands  and  deposited  along  stream  channels 
when  they  were  flowing  at  a  higher  level  than  at  present.  It  repre- 
sents terrace  material  in  an  advanced  stage  of  weathering. 

In  the  western  part  of  the  county,  about  3  miles  west  of  Bull 
Canyon,  there  is  a  small  body  which  does  not  show  evidence  of 
alluvial  origin.  It  has  a  typical  Tripp  profile,  however,  and  so  was 
included  with  the  series. 

The  topography  of  the  Tripp  fine  sandy  loam  is  almost  flat,  the 
surface  sloping  gently  down  the  valleys  and  toward  the  stream 
channels.  Drainage  is  good,  the  slope  being  sufficient  to  carry  off 
the  surplus  surface  water  and  the  subsoil  structure  favoring  under- 
drainage. 

The  type  is  not  an  important  agricultural  soil  in  the  county, 
chiefly  on  account  of  its  small  extent.  ■  About  20  per  cent  of  it  is 
under  cultivation  and  the  rest  is  used  for  pasture  and  hay  land. 
Sand  grass,  grama  grass,  buffalo  grass,  and  a  small  amount  of  western 
wheat  grass  comprise  the  native  vegetation. 

The  soil  is  well  adapted  to  all  crops  common  to  the  region.  Wheat, 
rye,  oats,  com,  potatoes,  and  alfalfa  are  the  leading  crops.  A  few 
farmers  grow  small  patches  of  millet,  sorghum,  and  emmer  for  feed. 
Wheat  and  rye  are  the  principal  cash  crops.  Oats,  corn,  and  alfalfa 
are  produced  primarily  as  feed  for  stock.  Potatoes  are  grown  only 
for  home  consumption.  As  on  most  of  the  soils  of  Banner  County, 
the  grazing  of  live  stock  is  the  principal  industry,  and  beef  cattle 
and  horses  are  raised  extensively.  There  are  a  few  milk  cows,  chiefly 
of  the  beef  breeds,  on  every  farm. 

The  yields  of  the  grain  crops  are  about  the  same  as  those  obtained 
on  the  Tripp  very  fine  sandy  loam.  Potatoes  yield  75  to  150  bushels 
per  acre,  depending  upon  the  season.  Alfalfa,  which  is  cut  twice, 
gives  a  total  average  yield  of  2  tons  per  acre. 

Crop  rotation  is  not  practiced,  and  no  fertilizer  is  used,  as  the  soil 
is  new  and  in  no  immediate  danger  of  becoming  exhausted. 

The  land  is  either  plowed  in  the  fall  and  seeded  to  winter  wheat  or 
stirred  as  soon  as  the  frost  is  out  of  the  ground  in  the  spring  and 


64  FIELD   OPERATIONS  OF   THE   BUREAU   OF    SOILS,   1919. 

planted  to  wheat,  oats,  or  corn.  Some  com  is  planted  on  newly 
broken  sod.  Wheat  is  occasionally  drilled  in  between  the  com  rows 
in  the  fall. 

The  land  is  easily  handled  and  does  not  require  heavy  teams  or 
strong  farm  machinery  for  its  cultivation.  It  can  be  plowed  under 
any  moisture  condition  without  injury.  The  soil  is  somewhat  in- 
coherent and  has  a  slight  tendency  to  blow  when  not  carefully  man- 
aged. 

The  selling  price  of  the  Tripp  fine  sandy  loam  ranges  from  $20  to 
$30  an  acre,  depending  uj^on  its  improvements,  and  location  with  re- 
spect to  roads  and  markets.  Owing  to  its  small  extent  on  most 
farms  where  it  occurs,  it  is  usually  sold  in  connection  with  soils  of 
other  types  and  has  a  tendency  to  increase  the  general  value  of  the 
land. 

The  soil  should  not  be  left  longer  than  is  necessary  without  a  pro- 
tective covering.  Applications  of  barnyard  manure  help  to  check 
drifting  and  at  the  same  time  apply  needed  organic  matter. 

TEIPP   VEBY   FINE   SANDY   LOAM. 

The  Tripp  very  fine  sandy  loam,  to  a  depth  of  8  to  10  inches,  is  a 
brown  to  grayish-brown,  very  fine  sandy  loam.  In  places  it  is 
slightly  compact,  but  for  the  most  part  it  is  loose  and  friable.  The 
soil  is  relatively  high  in  the  finest  grade  of  sand  and  silt  and  low  in 
material  coarser  than  fine  sand. 

The  surface  6  inches  contains  slightly  more  organic  matter  than 
is  found  in  the  Tripp  fine  sandy  loam  and  for  this  reason  is  more 
coherent.  In  a  few  places  the  soil,  having  been  modified  by  wind- 
blown material,  approaches  a  loamy  very  fine  sand  in  texture. 

The  upper  subsoil  consists  of  a  light -brown  to  ashy-gray  silt  or 
very  fine  sandy  loam,  which  at  about  20  inches  generally  changes  into 
an  almost  white,  loose,  floury  calcareous  silt,  much  resembling  the 
lower  subsoil  of  the  Rosebud  very  fine  sandy  loam.  Locally  the  sub- 
soil does  not  differ  in  texture  from  the  surface  material,  being  a  very 
fine  sandy  loam  throughout  the  3-foot  section. 

The  type  occupies  a  relatively  small  area  in  Banner  County.  It 
occurs  in  scattering  bodies  on  the  higher  terraces  and  benches,  chiefly 
along  Pumpkin  Creek  and  its  tributaries.  The  largest  area  lies  south 
of  Funnel  Rock,  and  extends  up  one  of  the  tributaries  of  Pumpkin 
Creek.  Two  small  bodies  were  mapped  on  the  west  side  of  Willow 
Creek.  On  the  south  side  of  Pumpkin  Creek,  in  the  sec.  25,  T.  19 
N.,  E.  53  W.  there  occurs  a  small  but  typical  area.  The  soil  is  com- 
posed of  material  brought  down  from  the  Ogallala,  Arikaree,  and 
Brule  formations,  reworked  and  deposited  by  streams. 

In  the  extreme  western  part  of  the  county,  along  the  Nebraska- 
Wyoming  boundary  line,  there  is  a  body  of  very  fine  sandy  loam 


SOIL    SURVEY   OF    BANNER    COUNTY,    NEBRASKA.  55 

which  has  probal)ly  been  accumuhited  as  colhivial  or  alhivial  wash 
from  the  uplands  and  in  this  respect  resembles  the  Bridgeport  very 
fine  sandy  loam.  It  has,  however,  a  more  calcareous  and  distinctly 
lighter  colored  subsoil  than  any  of  the  Bridgeport  types  and  was 
for  this  reason  included  with  the  Tripp  very  fine  sandy  loam. 

The  topography  of  the  Tripp  very  fine  sandy  loam  is  flat  to  very 
gently  undulating.  Drainage  is  good.  The  greater  part  of  the  type 
has  sufficient  slope  to  carry  off  the  surplus  water  and  the  loose, 
porous  soil  and  subsoil  affords  excellent  underdrainage. 

The  type  is  of  small  extent,  and  only  about  10  per  cent  of  it  is  under 
cultivation.     The  rest  is  used  for  pasture  and  hay  land. 

The  native  vegetation  consists  of  grama  grass,  buffalo  grass,  wire 
grass,  western  wheat  grass,  and  blackroot. 

Wheat,  rye,  oats,  and  corn  are  the  principal  cultivated  crops,  and 
stock  raising  is  the  chief  source  of  income.  Beef  cattle,  chiefly  grade 
Herefords  and  Shorthorns,  are  the  leading  breeds.  Most  of  the 
ranches  also  raise  horses.  Wheat  yields  from  15  toj  20  bushels,  rye 
20  to  25  bushels,  oats  20  to  40  bushels,  and  com  15  to  25  bushels  per 
acre. 

Land  of  the  Tripp  very  fine  sandy  loam  sells  for  $20  to  $30  an  acre. 

The  tj^pe  is  one  of  the  best  agricultural  soils  in  the  High  Plains 
region,  and  where  it  occurs  in  large  areas  as  in  Box  Butte,  Dawes, 
and  Sheridan  Counties,  is  extensively  used  in  the  production  of  al- 
falfa and  grain  crops.  It  is  especially  adapted  to  alfalfa,  and  good 
yields  are  obtained  in  all  but  the  driest  years. 

SCOTT    SILT  LOAM. 

The  soil  of  the  Scott  silt  loam  is  a  brown  to  grayish-brown  heavy 
silt  loam,  6  to  8  inches  deep.  It  is  unusually  high  in  silt  and  con- 
tains very  little  coarse  material.  In  places  the  soil  content  of  clay 
is  high,  the  texture  approaching  a  silty  clay  loam. 

The  material  in  the  surface  4  inches  is  rich  in  organic  matter  and 
has  a  much  darker  color  than  that  part  of  the  soil  below  this  depth. 
The  subsoil  is  a  dark-gray  to  almost  black,  compact  clay,  having  an 
average  thickness  of  about  4  feet.  This  material  is  almost  impene- 
trable, with  a  soil  auger  on  account  of  its  stiff  compact  structure.  In 
places  the  subsoil  changes  abruptly  at  about  30  inches  into  a  light- 
gray,  loose  friable  very  fine  sandy  loam.  The  change  in  color  and 
texture  between  the  soil  and  subsoil  is  unusually  gradual.  The  type 
is  calcareous  throughout  the  3-foot  section. 

Less  than  one-half  square  mile  of  the  Scott  silt  loam  occurs  in  Ban- 
ner County.  It  forms  a  few  isolated  areas  on  the  upland  in  the 
south-central  part.  The  areas  are  small,  seldom  exceeding  10  acres 
in  size. 


56  FIELD   OPERATIONS   OF   THE   BUREAU   OF   SOILS,   1919. 

One  of  the  most  typical  developments  occurs  on  the  east  side  of 
the  Harrisbiirg-Kimball  road,  about  5  miles  south  of  Harrisburg. 

The  soil  has  been  deposited  in  shallow,  circular  basins  or  depres- 
sions, locally  called  "  buffalo  wallows."  These  depressions  occur  only 
on  the  table-land  in  the  southern  part  of  the  area.  The  soil  consists 
of  sediments  washed  in  from  the  surrounding  types. 

Owing  to  the  impervious  nature  of  the  subsoil  and  to  its  basinlike 
tojDography,  water  often  accumulates  in  small  ponds  after  rains. 
It  disappears  very  slowly,  and  poor  drainage  exists  over  the  greater 
part  of  the  type. 

The  soil  is  not  used  for  crop  production,  but  is  valuable  as  pasture 
and  hay  land.  The  native  vegetation  consists  of  grama  grass, 
buffalo  grass,  and  western  wheat  grass,  the  last  doing  exceptionally 
well,  on  account  of  the  favorable  moisture  conditions.  About  8 
acres  are  required  to  support  each  head  of  stock,  hay  being  fed  in 
severe  weather.  The  native  grasses  yield  one-half  to  three-fourths 
ton  per  acre,  depending  upon  the  rainfall.  Grasses  suffer  from  lack 
of  moisture  during  protracted  droughts,  as  the  soil  cracks  badly  upon 
drying  and  evaporation  becomes  excessive. 

It  is  difficult  to  give  land  values  on  this  type,  as  it  comprises  but  a 
small  percentage  of  the  farms  and  ranches  on  which  it  occurs.  When 
it  occupies  a  considerable  acreage  the  selling  price  of  the  farm  is 
greatly  reduced.  It  is  doubtful  if  the  Scott  silt  loam  should  ever  be 
used  for  crop  production.  Some  farmers  haul  manure  and  straw 
on  this  type  in  an  effort  to  increase  its  water-holding  capacity,  and 
prevent  surface  accumulation.  It  is  doubtful,  however,  if  this 
method  will  give  the  desired  result;  as  it  is  the  heavy,  impervious 
subsoil  and  not  the  soil  that  is  the  cause  of  the  poor  drainage. 

LAUREL  FINE    SANDY   LOAM. 

The  Laurel  fine  sandy  loam  consists  of  8  to  12  inches  of  a  light- 
brown  to  grayish-brown,  loose  fine  sandy  loam.  In  a  few  places  it 
contains  a  relatively  large  percentage  of  very  fine  sand  and  silt  and 
approaches  a  very  fine  sandy  loam  in  texture. 

The  surface,  6  inches,  is  high  in  organic  matter,  but  this  constituent 
rapidly  decreases  with  depth.  The  upper  subsoil  is  a  gray  to  light- 
gray,  loose,  incoherent  fine  to  very  fine  sand,  which, below  about  20 
inches  gradually  becomes  coarser  in  texture,  with  considerable  sand 
and  fine  gravel  encountered  at  30  inches.  The  lower  stratum  is  often 
mottled  with  rusty-brown  streaks  as  a  result  of  poor  drainage.  Both 
soil  and  subsoil  are  calcareous. 

The  type  is  inextensive  in  Banner  County.  It  occurs  as  an  almost 
continuous  strip,  varying  in  width  from  a  few  rods  to  one-fourth 


SOIL  SURVEY   OF   BAXXER   COUXTY,    NEBRASKA.  57 

mile,  along  Pumpkin  Creek,  and  represents  recent  alluviimi,  which 
in  many  places  is  still  in  the  process  of  formation. 

The  topography  of  the  type  is  flat  and  most  of  the  soil  is  poorly 
drained.  It  lies  only  2  or  3  feet  above  the  stream  channel  and  is 
subject  to  frequent  overflow.  Owing  to  its  small  extent  and  poor 
drainage,  it  is  nearly  all  included  in  pasture  and  hay  land,  although 
some  alfalfa  is  grown  on  the  better  drained  areas.  The  native  vegeta- 
tion consists  of  big  bluestem  grass,  grama  grass,  western  wheat  grass, 
and  wire  grass.  A  few  scattering  cottonwood,  willow,  boxelder,  and 
chokecherry  trees  occur  near  the  stream  channel.  The  grasses  on 
this  type  afford  better  pasturage  and  more  hay  than  on  any  of  the 
other  soils  in  the  county,  on  account  of  the  m.ore  favorable  moisture 
conditions.  From  one-half  ton  to  1^  tons  of  hay  is  obtained  from 
each  acre  in  average  years.  "Where  alfalfa  can  be  grown,  it  yields  a 
total  of  2  to  2^  tons  per  acre,  from  two  cuttings.  The  price  of  this 
land  ranges  from  $20  to  $30  an  acre. 

It  is  advisable  to  keep  the  areas  of  the  Laurel  fine  sandy  loam  in 
the  native  grasses,  except  the  land  which  is  sufficiently  well  drained 
to  produce  alfalfa.  When  planted  to  crops  requiring  cultivation,  the 
soil  drifts  badly  and  much  of  the  organic  matter  is  removed  by  the 
wind. 

LAUREL  VBn?Y  FIXE   SAKDY  LOAM. 

The  surface  soil  of  the  Laurel  very  fine  sandy  loam  is  a  grayish- 
brown,  loose  friable,  very  fine  sandy  loam.  8  to  12  inches  deep.  The 
material  is  rich  in  organic  matter.  The  upper  subsoil  is  a  light-gray 
to  light  grayish  brown  loamy  fine  sand.  In  places  it  is  slightly  more 
compact  than  the  surface  soil,  this  condition  resulting  from  a  larger 
silt  and  clay  content.  Below  24  inches  the  subsoil  generally  becomes 
a  loose,  gray  fine  sand  to  very  fine  sand,  in  many  places  mottled 
brown  or  drab  owing  to  poor  drainage.  In  some  places  fine  gravel 
and  coarse  sand  are  encountered  at  30  inches.  The  subsoil  is  highly 
calcareous. 

This  type  occupies  a  very  small  acreage  in  Banner  County,  being 
mapped  in  onl}^  three  small  bodies.  These  are  narrow  strips  along 
the  channel  of  Pumpkin  Creek.  The  largest  and  most  typical  body 
lies  at  the  mouth  of  Chalk  Creek,  in  sec.  25,  T.  19  N.,  R.  53  W.  The 
type  represents  recent  alluvium  and  is  still  in  the  process  of  forma- 
tion. The  topogi^aphy  is  flat  and  the  drainage  poor.  The  soil  lies 
but  a  few  feet  above  the  nonnal  flow  of  the  creek  and  is  subject  to 
inundation  with  each  slight  rise. 

The  soil  is  not  used  for  crop  production  owing  to  its  small  extent 
and  poor  drainage.  It  supports  an  excellent  growth  of  native 
grasses,  however,  which,  because  of  the  favorable  moisture  condi- 


58  FIELD   OPERATIONS   OF   THE   BUREAU   OF   SOILS,   1919. 

tions,  afford  good  hay  and  pasturage  even  during  the  driest  years. 
Grama  grass,  big  bluestem,  wire  grass,  and  western  wheat  grass  are 
the  most  important  species.  From  6  to  8  acres  are  required  to  sup- 
port a  cow  or  steer  throughout  the  year,  hay  being  fed  in  severe 
weather.  Wild  hay  yields  three-fourths  to  one  and  one-half  tons 
per  acre,  depending  upon  the  rainfall.  The  land  ranges  in  selling 
price  from  $20  to  $35  an  acre. 

Where  the  type  is  extensively  developed  it  is  one  of  the  best  hay 
soils  of  the  High  Plains  region  and  on  the  better  drained  areas  in 
Morrill,  Box  Butte,  Dawes,  and  Sheridan  Counties,  it  is  used  for  the 
production  of  alfalfa  and  grain  crops  with  excellent  results. 

ROUGH    BROKEN    LAND. 

The  type  mapped  as  Rough  broken  land  includes  extensive  areas 
of  badly  eroded  stream  slopes  and  bluffs  which  are  unsuited  for 
agriculture,  with  the  exception  of  included  stream  valleys  and  a 
few  small  areas  that  have  escaped  excessive  erosion.  The  topography 
is  extremely  rough  and  broken ;  steep  slopes,  canj^ons,  and  gullies 
abound.  Rock  outcrops  over  a  considerable  proportion  of  the  type, 
forming  in  many  places  cliffs  and  vertical  walls.  The  greater  part 
of  the  type  has  been  carved  from  the  underlying  Tertiary  sandstone, 
which  is  readily  broken  into  a  rough  topography  where  erosion  is 
active.  There  is  usually  present  a  considerable  quantity  of  white 
calcareous  stones,  fragments  of  the  underlying  sandstone  formations. 

The  type  is  one  of  the  most  extensive  in  Banner  County.  It  occurs 
chiefly  in  the  northeastern  and  southeastern  parts.  The  largest  body 
occupies  Wild  Cat  Ridge.  The  type  also  occurs  as  an  irregular 
jagged  though  almost  continuous  strip  bordering  the  north  edge  of 
the  table-land  throughout  the  county.  Extensive  areas  were  mapped 
along  Rocky  Hollow,  a  tributary  of  Lawrence  Fork,  in  the  south- 
eastern part  of  the  county.  Drainage  over  most  of  the  type  is  ex- 
cessive, owing  to  the  steep  slopes. 

The  type  is  used  exclusively  as  grazing  land.  There  is  a  good 
growth  of  grasses,  except  in  those  areas  where  erosion  has  been  ex- 
tremely rapid.  Grama  grass,  buffalo  grass,  and  western  wheat  grass 
are  the  most  important  species.  Blackroot,  a  sedge,  is  also  impor- 
tant. Scrub  pine  grows  on  the  narrow  ridges  and  steeper  slopes, 
while  in  the  canyons  elm,  cottonwood,  ash,  boxelder,  willow,  hack- 
berry,  and  ohokecherry  constitute  the  tree  growth. 

Rough  broken  land  will  support  25  to  35  head  of  cattle  per  section 
when  grazed  throughout  the  year.  The  rough  topography  affords 
protection  to  stock  during  severe  weather.  The  land  is  valued  at  $12 
to  $15  an  acre. 


SOIL   SURVEY   OF  BANNER  COUNTY.   NEBRASKA.  59 

DUNESAND. 

The  areas  mapped  as  Dunesand  consist  of  a  gray  to  yellowish-gray 
or  brownish-gray  sand  of  fine  to  medium  texture,  with  fine  sand  pre- 
dominating. There  is  almost  no  change  in  texture  to  a  depth  of  3 
or  more  feet.  The  structure  is  usually  very  smooth  and  incoherent, 
with  little  variation  from  soil  to  subsoil.  In  a  few  places  a  stratum 
of  slightly  coarser  material,  varying  in  thickness  from  1  to  3  inches, 
is  encountered  at  depths  between  24  and  36  inches. 

There  is  generally  some  organic  matter  in  the  surface  6  inches, 
but  this  is  never  sufficient  to  hold  the  soil  against  drifting  when  the 
native  grasses  are  destroyed.  Neither  the  soil  nor  the  subsoil  is  cal- 
careous. 

Dunesand  is  not  extensively  developed  in  Banner  County.  It  oc- 
curs as  small  isolated  bodies  in  the  Pumpkin  Creek  Valley.  The 
largest  and  most  typical  area  lies  north  of  the  creek,  in  the  northern 
part  of  the  county.  A  smaller  body  occurs  2^  miles  northeast  of 
Harrisburg. 

The  materials  forming  this  type  have  been  accumulated  by  wind 
action  from  the  surrounding  sandy«  soils. 

The  topography  is  sharply  rolling  on  a  miniature  scale.  Small 
hmnmocks  of  wind-lodged  sand,  hollows,  and  blow-outs  are  of  com- 
mon occurrence.  In  a  few  places  the  sand  is  heaped  into  dunes  20 
to  30  feet  high.  Only  a  small  proportion  of  the  type  is  under  active 
wind  erosion  at  the  present  time. 

There  are  no  continuous  waterways  through  the  areas  of  Dune- 
sand, as  the  loose,  porous  sand  is  so  absorptive  that  there  is  little 
run-off,  even  on  the  steepest  slopes.  The  type  is  unusually  retentive 
of  moisture,  considering  its  loose  structure. 

The  Dunesand  is  of  no  importance  in  crop  production,  but  has  con- 
siderable value  as  pasture  land.  The  surface  in  most  places  is  well 
sodded  with  grasses,  of  which  long-leafed  reed  grass,  western  stipa, 
and  redfieldia  are  the  most  common.  Soapweed  or  yucca  is  occa- 
sionally encountered.  During  the  spring  and  summer  the  native 
grasses  afford  excellent  pasturage,  but  in  the  winter  they  are  killed 
by  frost  and  can  not  be  depended  upon  for  grazing.  The  type  will 
support  from  40  to  50  head  of  cattle  per  section  during  the  summer 
months. 

Dunesand  sells  for  $12  to  $15  an  acre,  the  price  depending  mainly 
upon  the  covering  of  grasses. 

The  preservation  of  the  native  grasses  is  essential  to  the  utilization 
of  this  type.  Patches  along  old  roads,  where  the  wind  has  had  an 
opportunity  to  work  on  the  bare  surface,  plainly  show  the  disastrous 
effects  of  disturbing  the  soil-binding  roots.  Care  must  be  taken  to 
control  fires  which  burn  off  the  protective  covering  of  grasses. 


60  FIELD   OPERATIONS  OF   THE   BUREAU   OF   SOILS,   1919. 

SUMMARY. 

Banner  County  is  situated  in  western  Nebraska,  bordering  the 
State  of  Wyoming.  It  comprises  an  area  of  745.5  square  miles,  or 
477,120  acres.  The  county  lies  in  the  western  part  of  the  Great  Plains 
Province.  The  surface  varies  from  flat  or  gently  undulating  to 
rough  and  dissected.  The  elevation  ranges  from  3,940  feet  to  5,240 
feet  above  sea  level. 

Drainage  is  generally  good  throughout  the  county.  The  northern 
part  is  drained  by  Pumpkin  Creek  and  the  southern  part  by  Lfaw- 
rence  Fork  and  its  tributaries. 

Settlement  of  the  county  began  in  1885  and  in  1889  the  county 
was  organized.  The  1910  census  gives  the  population  as  1,444.  It  is 
all  classed  as  rural  and  mostly  as  native-born  whites.  Harrisburg, 
the  county  seat,  is  located  in  the  central  part  of  the  area. 

There  are  no  railroads  in  the  county.  All  the  public  highways  are 
of  earth.  In  the  southwestern  and  northwestern  parts  they  are  in 
good  condition ;  elsewhere  they  do  not,  as  a  rule,  follow  section  lines 
and  are  not  well  maintained. 

There  are  no  markets  within  the  county.  The  grain  and  live-stock 
products  are  shipped  from  Kimball  or  Scottsbluif  to  eastern  markets. 

The  climate  of  Banner  County  is  characterized  by  cold  winters 
and  relatively  short  summers.  There  are  wide  extremes  of  heat  and 
cold.  The  mean  annual  temperature  is  47.4°  F.  and  the  average 
growing  season  is  129  days.  The  mean  annual  rainfall  is  about  16 
inches,  three-fourths  of  which  falls  during  the  growing  season.  High 
winds  may  occur  at  any  time  during  the  year,  but  are  seldom  de- 
structive to  property. 

The  early  agriculture  consisted  of  stock  raising  on  the  open  range. 
This  was  followed  by  a  decline  in  the  stock-raising  industry  and 
most  of  the  farmers  depended  largely  upon  grain  crops.  The  dry 
years  following  1890  made  grain  growing  unprofitable,  and  the  farm- 
ers have  gradually  adopted  a  combined  system  of  grain  growing  and 
cattle  ranching. 

Wheat  occupies  the  largest  acreage  among  the  cultivated  crops  and 
is  the  chief  cash  crop.  Corn,  oats,  flax,  rye,  and  potatoes  rank  in  im- 
portance in  the  order  named.  Alfalfa  is  the  principal  hay  crop.  It 
occupies  an  acreage  about  twice  that  from  which  wild  hay  is  har- 
vested. 

By  far  the  greater  part  of  Banner  County  is  used  as  grazing  land 
and  liA'C-stock  raising  is  the  most  important  industry.  According  to 
the  1910  census,  the  value  of  live-stock  products  exceeded  that  of  all 
crops  combined.  Cattle  and  horses  are  the  chief  source  of  income. 
Hogs  are  raised  only  in  an  experimental  way.  There  are  only  a  few 
sheep  in  the  county. 


SOIL   SURVF.Y   OF   BANNER    COUNTY,    NEBRASKA.  61 

The  best  farmers  attempt  to  follow  the  natural  adaptation  of  soils 
to  crops  in  planting.  The  prevailing  methods  of  agriculture  are 
generally  applicable  to  dry-farming  conditions,  except  that  no  defi- 
nite rotation  is  followed  and  most  of  the  farm  manure  is  wasted. 
Nearly  all  the  farms  have  the  necessary  equipment. 

Farm  labor  is  rather  scarce  during  the  busy  season,  and  most  of  the 
farmers  use  their  own  efforts  and  those  of  the  family  to  carry  on  the 
work.     Good  wages  are  paid  for  farm  labor. 

In  1910  there  were  368  farms  in  the  county,  with  an  average  size  of 
863.5  acres.  Most  of  the  farms  range  in  size  from  160  to  640  acres. 
The  great  majority  of  the  farmers  and  ranchers  operate  their  own 
farms.  The  cash  and  crop-rental  systems  are  equally  followed  in  the 
case  of  leased  farms.     Land  values  range  from  $12  to  $75  an  acre. 

The  soils  of  Banner  County  may  be  grouped  into  four  main  divi- 
sions: (1)  Residual  soil,  (2)  colluvial  and  alluvial  fan  soils,  (3) 
alluvial  or  stream  deposited  soils,  and  (4)  eolian  or  v/ind-blown 
soils.  Ten  soil  series,  embracing  26  soil  types,  are  recognized  in 
Banner  County. 

The  Rosebud  series  is  quite  extensive.  It  occurs  chiefly  in  the 
southern  part  of  the  county.  The  loam  and  silt  loam  types  are  well 
adapted  to  the  production  of  small  grain. 

The  Dunlap  silt  loam  is  of  very  small  extent  and  is  mostly  used 
for  pasture  land.  It  is  a  fertile,  strong  soil,  however,  and  where  it 
occurs  in  areas  of  large  extent,  is  one  of  the  best  dry-farming  soils 
in  the  High  Plains  region. 

The  Epping  soils  occur  chiefly  in  the  Pumpkin  Creek  Valley.  The 
heavier  members,  including  the  silt  loam  and  very  fine  sandy  loam, 
are  well  adapted  to  dry  farming.  The  lighter  textured  types,  how- 
ever, are  somewhat  droughty  and  subject  to  drifting  when  left  un- 
protected. 

The  Valentine  soils  are  chiefly  used  for  the  production  of  hay  and 
as  pasture  land.  The  loamy  fine  sand  type  is  low  in  organic  matter 
and  blows  badly  when  the  protective  covering  of  grasses  is  removed. 

The  Mitchell  silt  .loam  and  very  fine  sandy  loam  types  are  inex- 
tensive  in  Banner  County  and  are  of  little  agricultural  importance. 

The  Bridgeport  soils  occupy  the  alluvial  and  colluvial  fan  slopes 
in  the  Pumpkin  Creek  Valley.  The  fine  sandy  loam  is  the  most  im- 
portant type  of  this  series. 

The  Cheyenne  soils  are  developed  in  the  high  terraces  along  the 
larger  intermittent  drainage  waj^s.  Most  of  the  types  are  of  a 
droughty  nature  on  account  of  the  loose,  porous  subsoil. 

The  Tripp  soils  are  of  relatively  small  extent  in  this  county.  They 
are  well  adapted  to  grain  growing. 

The  Scott  silt  loam  occupies  small  depressions  and  basins  in  the 
table-land  forming  the  southern  part  of  the  county.     The  soil  is  of 


62  FIELD   OPERATIONS  OF   THE   BUREAU    OF   SOILS,   1919. 

little  agricultural  importance  on  account  of  its  heavy,  impervious 
subsoil  and  consequent  poor  drainage. 

The  Laurel  soils  occur  as  a  narrow  strip  in  the  flood  plain  of 
Pumpkin  Creek.  Most  of  them  are  poorly  drained  and  valued  only 
for  the  pasturage  and  hay  they  produce.  The  better  drained  areas  are 
adapted  to  the  production  of  alfalfa. 

o 


I 


UC  SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FAC'LITY 

AA    001  026  509    8 


[Public  Resoltjtion — No.  9.] 

JOINT  RESOLUTION  Amending  public  resolution  numbered  eight,  Fiftj--sixth  Congress, 
second  session,  approved  February  twenty-third,  nrneteea  hundred  and  one,  "  providing 
for  the  printing  annually  of  tiie  icport  on  field  operations  of  the  Division  of  Soils, 
Department  of  Agriculture." 

Resolved  by  the  Senate  and  House  of  Representatives  of  the  United  States  of 
America  in  Congress  assembled,  That  public  resolution  numbered  eigbt,  Fifty- 
sixth  Congress,  second  session,  approved  February  twenty-third,  nineteen  hun- 
dred and  one,  be  amended  by  striliing  out  all  after  the  resolving  clause  and 
inserting  in  lieu  thereof  the  following: 

That  there  shall  be  printed  ten  thousand  five  hundred  copies  of  the  report  on 
field  operations  of  the  Division  of  Soils,  Department  of  Agriculture,  of  which 
one  thousand  five  hundred  copies  shall  be  for  the  use  of  the  Senate,  three  thou- 
sand copies  for  the  use  of  the  House  of  Representatives,  and  six  thousand  copies 
for  the  use  of  the  Department  of  Agriculture :  Provided,  That  in  addition  to  the 
number  of  copies  above  provided  for  tliere  shall  be  printed,  as  soon  as  the  manu- 
script can  be  prepared,  ^^'ith  the  necessary  maps  and  illustrations  to  accompany 
it,  a  report  on  each  area  surveyed,  in  the  form  of  advance  sheets,  bound  in 
paper  covers,  of  which  five  hundred  copies  shall  be  for  the  use  of  eacli  Senator 
from  the  State,  two  thousand  copies  for  the  use  of  each  Representative  for  the 
congressional  district  or  districts  in  which  the  survey  is  made,  and  one  thousand 
copies  for  the  use  of  the  Department  of  Agriculture. 

Approved,  March  14,  1904. 

[On  July  1,  1901,  the  Division  of  Soils  was  reorganized  as  the  Bureau  of  Soils.] 


